Distribution of catecholamines in individual hypothalamic nuclei of Japanese quail

The dissection of eight hypothalamic nuclei or areas of Japanese quail brain (nucleus hypothalamicus medialis anterior, nucleus periventricularis magnocellularis, nucleus hypothalamicus lateralis anterior, nucleus hypothalamicus medialis posterior, nucleus hypothalamicus lateralis posterior, eminentia medialis, nucleus tuberis and area hypothalamica posterior) and a subsequent radioenzymatic measurement of the basic concentrations of noradrenaline, adrenaline and dopamine in these structures of female Japanese quail were demonstrated in this study. Individual hypothalamic nuclei were identified according to the histological map prepared. All the above mentioned structures were isolated from serial 200 micrometers thick frozen coronal sections of the hypothalamus under a stereomicroscope by means of a needle punch of 500 micrometers or 300 micrometers internal diameter. The highest levels of all biogenic amines measured were found in the area hypothalamica posterior which significantly differed from all other nuclei examined. Their lowest concentrations occurred in the nucleus hypothalamicus medialis posterior and in the nucleus hypothalamicus lateralis posterior. The results present the first picture of the quantitative distribution of catecholamines in the hypothalamus of the female Japanese quail.