Ipsilateral diminution of CRF-granules after unilateral hypothalamic lesions

Axons terminating in the outer layer of the median eminence of rats contain light microscopically visible granules. The granules are assumed to represent a corticotropin-releasing factor and, therefore, are called CRF-granules. To find out whether neurons containing CRF-granules originate and run together with the neurons of the hypothalamus-neural lobe system (HNS), the effect of unilateral lesions in the HNS on the amount and distribution of CRF-granules was studied in bilaterally adrenalectomized rats. HNS lesions prevented the adrenalectomy-induced increase in CRF-granules on the side of the lesion. Lesions outside the HNS or sham lesions did not influence the amount and distribution of the granules. The findings suggest that CRF-granules are located in terminals of neurons whose perikarya are situated in magnocellular hypothalamic nuclei. It can also be concluded that the axons of these neurons run within the HNS and do not decussate.