Ontogeny of somatostatin gene expression in rat diencephalon

Somatostatin gene expression is first detectable, using in situ hybridization, on the 14th fetal day in rat diencephalon. Other structures expressing somatostatin messenger RNA include the anterior basal periventricular nucleus, amygdalo-hippocampal complex, dorsolateral thalamus and distinct areas in the parieto-frontal cortex. Semiquantitative analysis reveals that somatostatin synthesis increases progressively throughout the last third of fetal life and onto postnatal life.