Central Nervous System Structures Labelled from the Testis Using the Transsynaptic Viral Tracing Technique

Abstract

In the present study, the transneuronal transport of neurotrophic virus technique was used to identify cell groups of the spinal cord and the brain that are transsynaptically connected with the testis. Pseudorabies virus was injected into the testis and after survival times of 3-6 days, the spinal cord and brain were processed immunocytochemically using a polyclonal antibody against the virus. Virus-infected perikarya were detected in the preganglionic neurones of the spinal cord (T10-L1, L5-S1) and in certain cell groups and areas of the brain stem, the hypothalamus and the telencephalon. In the brain stem, the cell groups and areas in which labelled neurones were present included, among others, the nucleus of the solitary tract, the caudal raphe nuclei, the locus coeruleus and the periaqueductal grey of the mesencephalon. In the hypothalamus, virus infected perikarya were observed in the paraventricular nucleus and in certain other cell groups. Telencephalic structures containing labelled neurones included the preoptic area, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the central amygdala and the insular cortex. These data identify a multisynaptic circuit of neurones in the spinal cord and in the brain which may be involved in the control of testicular functions.

Angiotensin II Receptor Binding in the Locus ceruleus of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats and Wistar-Kyoto Rats: A Quantitative Autoradiographic Study with References to Hypertension and Cardiac/Testicular Hypertrophy

“…To the best of our knowledge, this is perhaps the first piece of such an information. Since there is a high density of AII receptors in the LC, the observation of the present study indicates that AII receptors that modulated the LC-testis axis through a multisynaptic circuit of neurons [12] may have started to influence testicular function long before 4 weeks of age. Furthermore, at the 9-week and 16-week hypertensive stages, TW remains heavier in SHR rats than in WKY rats.…”

“…As to the organ function, the recent literature also shows that there is an LC-testis axis [12] in addition to the traditional hypothalamic-pituitary control of the testis [24]. Furthermore, a functional relationship seems to exist between the testicular testosterone production and the state of hypertension in SHR rats [15].…”

“…Furthermore, testis-specific ACE can also modulate blood pressure [16], and castration can significantly lower blood pressure [9,21], suggesting involvement of the testis in cardiovascular function. However, little was known concerning the role of the neural pontine axis in the control of testicular function until a recent study showing that the LC is among those hypothalamic and brainstem structures involved, as is evident from a recent study showing that the LC is transsynaptically labeled after pseudorabies virus injection into the testis [12]. Therefore, testicular parameters in SHR and WKY rats were also examined.…”

Efficacy of Intracerebral Immunization against Pseudorabies Virus in Mice

“…For complete protection by IC immunization, other blocking mechanisms may be involved. Using antibodies against the PRV, infected neurons in the spinal cord and brain were identified by means of immunocytochemistry after injection of PRV into an end-organ, testis (17). From the infected terminals, the virus travels along the axon to the perikaryon where it replicates and then infects transsynaptically neural elements in synaptic contact with the infected perikaryon.…”

Androgen receptor immunoreactivity in rat occipital cortex after callosotomy

“…There is growing evidence that brain areas, such as the caudal raphe nuclei, locus coeruleus, periaqueductal grey matter, are transneuronally connected with the gonads (Gerendai et al, 2000a;Gerendai et al, 2000b) and their involvement in a complementary control mechanism independent of the pituitary gland has been suggested. The role of this neural influence in the control of gonadal functions is consistently shown by studies based on transections or lesions in the peripheral or central nervous system (Gerendai et al, 1997;Banczerowski et al, 2001) and by recent observations showing an inhibitory effect of the right occipital cortex on tes-ticular steroidogenesis (Lepore et al, 2006).…”