Organization and number of orexinergic neurons in the hypothalamus of two species of Cetartiodactyla: a comparison of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) and harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena).
Title | Organization and number of orexinergic neurons in the hypothalamus of two species of Cetartiodactyla: a comparison of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) and harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2012 |
Authors | Dell L-A, Patzke N, Bhagwandin A, Bux F, Fuxe K, Barber G, Siegel JM, Manger PR |
Journal | J Chem Neuroanat |
Volume | 44 |
Issue | 2 |
Pagination | 98-109 |
Date Published | 2012 Jul |
ISSN | 1873-6300 |
Keywords | Animals, Artiodactyla, Cell Size, Hypothalamus, Immunohistochemistry, Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins, Male, Neurons, Neuropeptides, Orexins, Phocoena, Phylogeny, Ruminants, Species Specificity, Stereotaxic Techniques, Subthalamus, Visual Pathways |
Abstract | The present study describes the organization of the orexinergic (hypocretinergic) neurons in the hypothalamus of the giraffe and harbour porpoise--two members of the mammalian Order Cetartiodactyla which is comprised of the even-toed ungulates and the cetaceans as they share a monophyletic ancestry. Diencephalons from two sub-adult male giraffes and two adult male harbour porpoises were coronally sectioned and immunohistochemically stained for orexin-A. The staining revealed that the orexinergic neurons could be readily divided into two distinct neuronal types based on somal volume, area and length, these being the parvocellular and magnocellular orexin-A immunopositive (OxA+) groups. The magnocellular group could be further subdivided, on topological grounds, into three distinct clusters--a main cluster in the perifornical and lateral hypothalamus, a cluster associated with the zona incerta and a cluster associated with the optic tract. The parvocellular neurons were found in the medial hypothalamus, but could not be subdivided, rather they form a topologically amorphous cluster. The parvocellular cluster appears to be unique to the Cetartiodactyla as these neurons have not been described in other mammals to date, while the magnocellular nuclei appear to be homologous to similar nuclei described in other mammals. The overall size of both the parvocellular and magnocellular neurons (based on somal volume, area and length) were larger in the giraffe than the harbour porpoise, but the harbour porpoise had a higher number of both parvocellular and magnocellular orexinergic neurons than the giraffe despite both having a similar brain mass. The higher number of both parvocellular and magnocellular orexinergic neurons in the harbour porpoise may relate to the unusual sleep mechanisms in the cetaceans. |
DOI | 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2012.06.001 |
Alternate Journal | J. Chem. Neuroanat. |
PubMed ID | 22683547 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC3551539 |
Grant List | I01 BX001753 / BX / BLRD VA / United States R01 DA034748 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States R01 MH064109 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States R01 NS069640 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States |