Coexistence of Intestinal Trefoil Factor (hITF) and Oxytocin in Magnocellular Neurons in the Human Hypothalamus

Human intestinal trefoil factor hITF, a polypeptide of the Pdomain family, was found to occur in hypothalamic neurons. With combined immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase technique we investigated the coexistence of hITF with the neurohypophysial peptide oxytocin and the associated neurophysin I in sections of the human hypothalamus. In the supraoptic nucleus, 39.2% of magnocellular oxytocinergic perikarya show hITF immunoreactivity. A similar distribution was observed in perivascular hypothalamic oxytocinergic neurons, whereas in the paraventricular nucleus, 99% of the oxytocinergic neurons show hITF coexpression. In the periventricular nucleus (PEV), single, scattered neurons with both immunoreactivities occur. Our findings indicate that hITF and oxytocin are coexpressed in a portion of the magnocellular neurons in the human hypothalamus, and that hITF is among the neurohypophysial peptides.

Key words

Human Hypothalamus - Magnocellular Nuclei - Trefoil Peptide - Oxytocin - Colocalization