DISTRIBUTION OF NEUROPEPTIDE Y-LIKE IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN THE HYPOTHALAMIC TUBERAL NUCLEI OF THE IMMATURE GILTS

The distribution of neuropeptide Y in the immature female pig hypothalamic tuberal nuclei was investigated using avidin-biotin complex method. This study showed cell bodies containing NPY-immunoreactive material in the arcuate nucleus, dorsomedial and ventromedial nuclei, as well as internal layer of the median eminence and infundibulum, an observation not yet reported in the pig. NPY-immunoreactive fibers were noted throughout the hypothalamus, but most prominently within the periventricular region. Median eminence disclosed abundance of NPY-immunoreactive processes. The study shows a detailed organization of cell bodies and fibers containing NPY-immunoreactivity in tuberal hypothalamic nuclei of the immature gilts.