“…Experimental evidence of hypothalamic control upon grafting of pituitary cells requires complex assays and readouts, including stimulation tests [e.g., response to thyrotropin releasing hormone (TSH) or to growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) etc. ], physiological stress tests [e.g., exposure to cold, arginine testing followed by evaluation of variations in pituitary hormone levels (Akalan et al 1988;Fisker et al 1999;Guillemin 2005)]. Behavioral testing can also contribute to the evaluation of the integrity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-target organ axis and its feedback loops.…”