The bovine anterior hypothalamus: Characterization of the vasopressin–oxytocin containing nucleus and changes in relation to sexual differentiation

Abstract

In an effort to systematically describe the neurochemical anatomy of the bovine anterior hypothalamus, we used a series of immunocytochemical markers such as acetylcholine esterase (AChE), arginine-vasopressin (AVP), calbindin (Calb), galanin (Gal), neuropeptide-Y (NPY), oxytocin (OXT), somatostatin (SST), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). We also investigated the potential sex difference present in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and the vasopressin-oxytocin containing nucleus (VON) of six male and six female Bos taurus. Our study revealed that the cytochemical structure of the cattle anterior hypothalamus follows the blueprint of other mammals. The VON, which was never described before in cattle, showed a sex difference with a 33.7% smaller volume and 23.2% fewer magnocellular neurons (approximately 20-30 μm) in the male. The SCN also did show a sex difference in VIP neurons and volume with a 36.1% larger female nucleus with 28.1% more cells. Additionally, we included five heifers with freemartin syndrome as a new animal model relevant to sexual differentiation in the brain. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first freemartin study in relation to the brain. Surprisingly, the SCN of freemartin heifers was 32.5% larger than its control male and female counterparts with 29% more VIP cells. Conversely, the freemartin VON had an intermediary size between male and female. To analyze our data, a classical statistical analysis and a novel multivariate and multi-aspect approach were applied. These findings shed new light on sexual dimorphism in the bovine brain and present this species with freemartins as a valuable animal model in neuroscience.

Topographical and structural characterization of the V1–V2 transition zone in the visual cortex of the long‐finned pilot whale Globicephala melas (Traill, 1809)

“…Subsequently, all sections were counter‐stained with thionin for 4 min, then dehydrated in graded ethanol solutions (3 min each) and finally in xylene before glass cover‐slipping with mounting medium. The same procedure was carried out without the primary, then without the secondary antibody and did not provide staining (for additional references, see Graïc, Corain, Peruffo, Cozzi, & Swaab, 2018).…”

An Assay System to Evaluate Riboflavin/UV-A Corneal Phototherapy Efficacy in a Porcine Corneal Organ Culture Model

“…A multi-way ANOVA [ 38 ] was used to prove the causal relationship between a set of input factors; i.e., the population and the specific ROI, versus a numerical response; i.e., the brightness we measured as a proxy of the damaged tissue (see Section 2.6 ). In order to prove possible significant effects due to the population and the ROI, we also applied nonparametric permutation tests, formerly already considered in image analysis with either fMRI [ 39 , 40 ] or histological data [ 41 , 42 ]. This methodology can be considered the more recommended statistical approach to our histological data, because of their possible non-normal distribution [ 43 , 44 ].…”

The motor cortex of the sheep: laminar organization, projections and diffusion tensor imaging of the intracranial pyramidal and extrapyramidal tracts

“…The focus of data analytics was the comparison among the layers of the sheep cortex. We applied nonparametric permutation tests, formerly considered in similar neuroanatomical analyses (Cozzi et al, 2017;Grisan et al, 2018;Graïc et al, 2018). This methodology can be considered the more recommended statistical approach to our morphometric data, because of their possible non-normal distribution (Pesarin and Salmaso 2010;Bonnini et al, 2014).…”