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Abstract
Using antisera generated in rabbits against salmon melanin concentrating hormone (MCH)
coupled to human thyroglobulin, the distribution of MCH-like immunoreactivity was
mapped throughout the rat central nervous system. The distribution of MCH-like immunoreactivity
in rat brain is unique and different from the distribution of other neuropeptides.
MCH-like immunoreactive perikarya and fibers are predominant in the posterior hypothalamic
area, mostly in the medial forebrain bundle-lateral hypothalamic area subzona incerta
and the perifornical area. Cell bodies are located mainly in the medial forebrain
bundle and in proximity to well defined hypothalamic nuclei. Fibers are seen throughout
the rat brain in all neocortical areas, the neostriatum and the amygdala, in the diencephalon
in most hypothalamic nuclei, the habenula, the mamillary body and very dense in the
medial forebrain bundle and just ventral to the zona incerta ("subzona incerta").
In the mesencephalon there are fibers in the central gray; in the pons-medulla fibers
are contained in the dorsal and ventral parabrachial nuclei; in the tegmental area
ventral to the fourth ventricle; in the spinal trigeminal area, the substantia gelatinosa
and the reticular nuclei. In the spinal cord there are more fibers in the dorsal than
in the ventral horn. The posterior pituitary also contained few MCH-like fibers. It
is suggested that a peptide similar, but not identical, to salmon MCH is present in
the rat central nervous system.