Cell genesis in the hypothalamus is associated to the sexual phase of a hermaphrodite teleost

• Published in: Neuroreport Vol. 12; no. 11; pp. 2477 - 2481
• Main Authors: Zikopoulos, Basilis, Kentouri, Maria, Dermon, Catherine R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc 08-08-2001; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Antimetabolites; Biochemistry and metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Bromodeoxyuridine; Cell Count; Cell Division - physiology; Central nervous system; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hermaphroditic Organisms; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Preoptic Area - cytology; Preoptic Area - physiology; Sea Bream; Sex Characteristics; Sex Determination Processes; Sparus aurata; Telencephalon - cytology; Telencephalon - physiology; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Immunohistochemistry; Steroid; Central nervous system; Telencephalon; Hypothalamus; Proliferation; Marine environment; Vertebrata; Investigation method; Sparus aurata; Pisces; Hermaphroditism; Preoptic nucleus; Developmental stage; Sexual dimorphism; Cell; Age; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0959-4965; 1473-558X
• DOI: 10.1097/00001756-200108080-00038

The present study aimed to define sex differences in the genesis of hypothalamic and telencephalic cells in the adult brain of male, female and under sex reversal teleosts (Sparus aurata). Application of 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine immunocytochemistry and quantification of the newborn cells using the disector method, determined a statistically significant difference in the dorsal hypothalamic ventricular area between sexual phases. Female brain exhibited a higher number of newborn cells, suggesting that estrogens possibly influence higher mitotic activity. In contrast, paraventricular organ and ventral nucleus of the ventral telencephalon did not show any significant changes, while cell proliferation differences in the preoptic area were correlated with age. The sex-specific cell proliferation pattern in the hypothalamus adds important information on the cellular mechanisms that underlie sex change in a protandrous hermaphrodite teleost.