European Journal of Anatomy

Official Journal of The Spanish Society of Anatomy
Cover Volume 4 - Number 1
Eur J Anat, 4 (1): 7-13 (2000)

Neuropeptide Y and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptors colocalize in neurons of the rat cerebral cortex

Bolde C., Jirikowski G.F., Prufer K.

Institut für Anatomie II, Klinikum der FSU, D-07740 Jena, Germany

ABSTRACT Using immunocytochemistry we studied the distribution of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptors (VDR) in series of vibratome sections of intact rat brains. With subsequent immunofluorescence we investigated whether calcitriol target neurons express neuropeptide Y (NPY). Single pyramidal cells in the primary motor cortex showed nuclear staining for VDR. A fraction of these cells also contained cytoplasmic NPY immunofluorescence. About 20% of the interneurons in layers 2 and 4 throughout the cerebral cortex stained for VDR, and 10% of these cells were NPY positive. Similar findings were observed in the prefrontal and cingulate cortex, the sensory cortex, the entorhinal cortex and the piriform cortex. In the CA2 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus, numerous non-pyramidal cells and basket cells were seen to be VDR immunoreactive. A fraction of these neurons stained with the NPY antibody. The hypothalamus showed numerous NPY positive perikarya and widely distributed NPY networks. However, no coexistence of VDR and NPY could be observed in this region. Our findings further emphasize that calcitriol may be another important neurosteroid with distinct target areas throughout the brain.

Keywords: antibody, calcitriol receptor, neuropeptide Y receptor, neurosteroid, animal cell, animal experiment, animal tissue, article, brain cortex, cingulate gyrus, entorhinal cortex, female, hypothalamus, immunocytochemistry, immunofluorescence, immunoreactivity, interneuron, male, motor cortex, nerve cell, nonhuman, prefrontal cortex, protein expression, pyramidal nerve cell, pyriform cortex, rat, sensory cortex

European Journal of anatomy
ISSN 2340-311X (Online)