Influence of intracerebroventricular injection of urocortin ¢ó on Fos expression in rat brain areas

    ZHU Yongª²Xiang, YAN Jianª²Qun, FAN Hongª²Kun

    1Department of Physiology, 2National Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, School of Medicine, Xi¡¯an Jiaotong University, Xi¡¯an 710061, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To identify cell groups responsive to central urocortin ¢ó administration and to evaluate the extent to which these cell groups may conform to the sites of CRF2R (corticotropinª²releasing factor 2 receptor ) expression. METHODS: The influence of intracerebroventricular injection of urocortin ¢ó on Fos expression in rat brain areas was observed with immunohistochemical staining technique. RESULTS: Urocortin ¢ó induced Fos expression in several brain areas, including lateral septal nucleus (LS), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), paraventricular hypothalamus nucleus (PVN), arcuate hypothalamic nucleus (ARC), the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), parabrachial nucleus (PBN), nucleus of the solitary tract(NTS) and area postrema (AP). CONCLUSION: Intracerebroventricular injection of urocortin ¢ó activates cell groups related with gustation, feeding and stress, the distribution of which partially overlaps with the sites of CRF2R expression. ......