Monosynaptic pathway between the arcuate nucleus expressing glial type II iodothyronine 5'-deiodinase mRNA and the median eminence-projective TRH cells of the rat paraventricular nucleus

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests that the thyroid regulation of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-containing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus involves the activation of other hypothalamic neural circuits. For example, the arcuate nucleus and not the paraventricular nucleus contains the highest enzyme activity of 5'-deiodinase type II, an enzyme that is pivotal for the local synthesis of T3. This experiment was undertaken to demonstrate whether a monosynaptic pathway exists between the arcuate nucleus and those TRH cells of the paraventricular nucleus that are neuroendocrine, i.e. project to the external layer of the median eminence. A specific cRNA probe derived from the coding region of deiodinase type II was used for the in situ hybridization histochemistry which was combined with immunocytochemistry for a specific marker of glial cells, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The hybridization signals were present within the hypothalamus in the arcuate nucleus-median eminence region and in the periventricular area. The periventricular labeling was localized to the ependymal layer of the third ventricle and no hybridization product was detected in the paraventricular nucleus and other hypothalamic nuclei adjacent to the third ventricle. Within the median eminence, numerous cells containing the hybridization product were located in the internal layer adjacent to the floor of the third ventricle and in the external layer adjacent to the surface of the brain. In the dorso- and ventromedial regions of the arcuate nucleus, deiodinase type II mRNA-containing cells were also detected. Numerous type II deiodinase mRNA-containing cells in the median eminence and arcuate nucleus were also found to be immunopositive for GFAP. The abundance of arcuate cells expressing the hybridization product was lower than those in the periventricular region or in the median eminence. The anterograde tracer, Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin, was injected into the medial parts of the arcuate nucleus where the in situ hybridization experiment detected deiodinase type II mRNA. Simultaneously with the anterograde tracing, the retrograde tracer, Fluoro-Gold, was injected into either the median eminence or the general circulation. Light and electron microscopic double and triple immunolabeling experiments on vibratome sections of colchicine-pretreated animals revealed that arcuate fibers innervate TRH cells within the parvicellular region of the paraventricular nucleus. Populations of these TRH cells receiving afferents from the arcuate nucleus were also retrogradely labelled from either the median eminence or the general circulation indicating their direct role in the regulation of thyrotropin secretion from the anterior pituitary. The majority of arcuate nucleus efferents on TRH cells were found to establish symmetrical synaptic connections. The present results provided direct evidence of a monosynaptic pathway between the hypothalamic site of local thyroid hormone production, the arcuate nucleus, and neuroendocrine TRH cells in the paraventricular nucleus. This signalling modality may play an important role in thyroid feedback on TRH cells. Since the arcuate nucleus is involved in the regulation of central mechanisms controlling diverse homeostatic functions, including reproduction and feeding, the pathway described in this study may also carry integrated signals related to reproduction and ingestion to TRH-producing cells.