A vasopressin and oxytocin containing nucleus in the pig hypothalamus that shows neuronal changes during puberty

Abstract

A vasopressin and oxytocin containing nucleus is described for the first time in the pig hypothalamus. It is located near the third ventricle, just dorsal to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and consists of magnocellular neurons, similar to those of the supraoptic nucleus and paraventricular nucleus. Morphometric analysis of neuronal number, size, density, and volume was performed at four different ages: 1 day, 7 weeks, 16 weeks, and 30 weeks postnatally. No sex difference in these parameters was observed. In this period the volume of the nucleus increased gradually from 6.6 x 10(-3) to 54.2 x 10(-3) mm3. One day after birth 1,215 +/- 191 (mean +/- SEM) neurons were present in the vasopressin and oxytocin containing nucleus, followed by a decrease to 771 +/- 80 neurons at 7 weeks and 697 +/- 116 at 16 weeks. Between 16 and 30 weeks (puberty) there was a dramatic increase in neuron number up to 1,765 +/- 214 neurons. This increase in the number of vasopressin and oxytocin containing neurons in the pig hypothalamus is much later in development than has ever been reported so far.