Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-containing neurons: distribution throughout the brain of the chick (Gallus domesticus) with focus upon the lateral septal organ

Abstract

The distribution of VIP-like perikarya and fibers was determined throughout the chick brain. The most rostral immunoreactive perikarya were found to be cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons in the pars medialis of the lateral septal organ. Additional data were presented supporting the idea that the lateral septal organ is another circumventricular organ within the brain of birds (Kuenzel and van Tienhoven 1982). A large group of immunoreactive perikarya was found in the lateral hypothalamic area and appeared continuous with immunoreactive neurons in the anterior medial and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei (n). A few perikarya were located in the paraventricular hypothalamic n. A number of immunoreactive neurons were found within and about the infundibular and inferior hypothalamic n., none however was immunoreactive cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons. Immunoreactive perikarya were found predominantly in laminae 10-11 of the stratum griseum et fibrosum superficiale. A few scattered perikarya were found ventromedial to the n. tegmenti pedunculo-pontinus pars compacta and locus ceruleus. Some of the immunoreactivity was unusual, being very homogeneous within the cell body with little evidence of the material in the axon or dendrites. Perikarya were found in the central gray, n. intercollicularis, and area ventralis of Tsai. The most caudal structure showing immunoreactive neurons was the n. reticularis paragigantocellularis lateralis. Brain areas containing the most abundant immunoreactive fibers, listed from the rostral-most location, were found in the ventromedial region of the lobus parolfactorius and the lateral septal n. Continuing caudally, there were immunoreactive fibers within the periventricular hypothalamic n.; some of the fibers were found to travel for some distance parallel to the third ventricle. Dense immunoreactive fibers were found in the tractus cortico-habenularis et cortico-septalis, medial habenular n. and posterior and dorsal n. of the archistriatum. A number of areas had what appeared to be baskets of immunoreactive fibers (perhaps immunoreactive terminals) surrounding non-reactive perikarya. Brain areas containing terminals included the piriform cortex, area ventralis of Tsai, interpeduncular n., and specific regions of the stratum griseum et fibrosum superficiale. A very dense immunoreactivity occurred within the external zone of the median eminence, the dorsolateral parabrachial n., and n. tractus solitarii. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide appears to be a useful peptide for defining the neuroanatomical constituents of the visceral forebrain in birds.

Expression of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide/Peptide Histidine Isoleucine in Several Hypothalamic Areas during the Turkey Reproductive Cycle: Relationship to Prolactin Secretion

“…In contrast, PHI mRNA was expressed in very low abundance throughout the hypothalamus. These results are in accordance with immunohistochemical localization of VIP in the hypothalamus of the turkey hen [19], and other avian species [38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44], including a report of high levels of VIP mRNA expression within the chick hypothalamus [45]. …”

Immunoreactivity Distribution of Vasotocin and Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide in Brain Nuclei of Two Songbird Species with Different Breeding Systems

“…Distribution of VIP-LI neurones, fibres and terminal field is in accordance with observations in pigeons [Péc-zely and Kiss, 1988;Hof et al, 1991], doves [Cloues et al, 1990;Den Boer-Visser and Dubbeldam, 2002], fowls [Kuenzel and Blähser, 1994;Kosonsiriluk et al, 2008], quails [Aste et al, 1995] and juncos [Deviche et al, 2000]. As in juncos [Deviche et al, 2000], we did not observe VIP-LI neurones in the preoptic areas, although these are present in non-oscine species [Péczely and Kiss, 1988;Cloues et al, 1990;Den Boer-Visser and Dubbeldam, 2002].…”

“…Moreover, singing behaviour is modulated via the septal vasotocinergic and VIPergic innervations in an antagonistic manner [Goodson, 1998a]. VIP-immunoreactive fibres have also been demonstrated in the SL, preoptic region and BNST of a variety of avian species (estrildid finches , pigeons [Péczely and Kiss, 1988;Hof et al, 1991], doves [Den Boer-Visser and Dubbel-dam, 2002], chicken [Kuenzel and Blähser, 1994] and quails [Aste et al, 1995]). …”

Sites of gene expression for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide throughout the brain of the chick (Gallus domesticus)

“…The purpose of our study was to map gene expression of VIP in the chick brain and compare that distribution with past studies completed in the same species and sex (Kuenzel and Blä hser, 1994), other avian species (Yamada et al, 1982;Mikami and Yamada, 1984;Korf and Fahrenkrug, 1984;Mikami, 1986;Péczely and Kiss, 1988;Silver et al, 1988;Mauro et al, 1989;Norgren and Silver, 1990;Aste et al, 1995;Bottjer and Alexander, 1995), and the bantam hen (Macnamee et al, 1986), where immunocytochemistry was utilized to locate VIP-like-ir neurons. One brain structure, the lateral septal organ (LSO), which was proposed previ- ously to be a circumventricular organ in birds due to the lack of a blood-brain barrier and to the presence of VIP-ir neurons that have processes extending to the surface of the lateral ventricle and that are presumably in contact with the cerebrospinal fluid (Kuenzel and van Tienhoven, 1982;Kuenzel and Blä hser, 1994), also appeared to have VIP binding sites based on a study completed in another avian species (Hof et al, 1991). Due to the potential functional importance of this circumventricular organ, a binding-site study was performed to determine where VIP receptors may reside within the LSO.…”