Inhibin β in central neural pathways involved in the control of oxytocin secretion

Abstract
Inhibin (I) a gonadal hormone glycoprotein which suppresses follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion from the anterior pituitary, is a heterodimer consisting of an a subunit and one of two distinct β subunits1–5. SI nuclease analysis has revealed that RNAs encoding all three subunits (α, βA and βB) are expressed in rat brain6. We report here on the localization, and a potential function, of inhibin β in the rat brain. A cell group centred in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), a major recipient of visceral sensory information, was stained immunohistochemically with anti-sera against synthetic fragments of Iβ, but not lα. The distribution of Iβ-stained fibres is consistent with known NTS projections, and includes a prominent projection to oxytocinergic aspects of the magnocellular neurosecretory system.
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