THE HIPPOCAMPUS AND SEPTAL AREA AS PRIMARY TARGET SITES FOR CORTICOSTERONE1

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Abstract
—Two groups of totally adrenalectomized male rats (220‐260 g) were injected intraperitoneally with different amounts of [1,2‐3H] corticosterone. One group received 1 μg of hormone (50 μCi/μg), and the other received 20 μg (2·5 μCiμg). All animals were decapitated at 15 min and various tissues including the pituitary, cerebellum, pons‐medulla, cerebral cortex, hypothalamus, septal area, and hippocampus were assayed for radioactivity and protein content. In the 1‐μg group, the hippocampus contained more cpm/mg of protein (PP<0·05) than all the other areas except the hippocampus. In the 20‐μg group there was a significant reduction (P<0·05) in the values (cpm/mg of protein) for the hippocampus, septal area and cerebral cortex, but no change in the values for the pituitary, hypothalamus, and pons‐medulla. These data suggest that the hippocampus and septal area are primary target sites for corticosterone because they take up more hormone than other nervous tissue loci and demonstrate a limited capacity for hormonal uptake. The pituitary gland tends to concentrate the hormone but does not demonstrate a limited capacity for uptake. The hypothalamus does not concentrate the hormone or demonstrate a limited capacity for uptake, and the data suggest that it is not a primary target site for corticosterone.