An immunocytochemical mapping of ACTH/CLIP in the cat diencephalon

Using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique, the location of cell bodies and fibres containing adrenocorticotropin hormone/corticotropin-like intermediate lobe peptide (ACTH/CLIP) was studied in the cat diencephalon. Immunoreactivity was observed in several diencephalic nuclei of the cat in which no immunoreactivity has been previously reported. In this sense, a low density of immunoreactive cell bodies was found in the nucleus ventromedialis hypothalami; a high density of immunoreactive fibres was found in the medial preoptic area; a moderate density in the lateral preoptic area and in the nuclei centralis thalami (pars medialis), interventralis thalami, interanteromedialis thalami, parafascicularis and praemamillaris (pars ventralis and pars dorsalis); a low density in the nuclei habenularis lateralis and reuniens thalami, and single fibres were found in the nuclei lateralis thalami (pars anterior), habenularis medialis, parataenialis, corpus geniculatum mediale, ventralis thalami (pars medialis) and in the fornix. Our results point to a more widespread distribution of ACTH/CLIP immunoreactive structures in the cat diencephalon in comparison with previous studies carried out in the same region of this feline.