Distribution of Endomorphin-like-immunoreactive neurones in the brain of the cichlid fish Oreochromis mossambicus

Abstract

Endomorphins are tetrapeptides involved in pain and neuroendocrine responses with high affinity for mu opioid receptors in mammals. In the present investigation, we studied the distribution of endomorphin-like-immunoreactive (EM-L-ir) neurones in the brain of the cichlid fish Oreochromis mossambicus. Application of antisera against endomorphin 1 and 2 (EM-1-2) revealed the presence of EM-L-ir somata and fibres throughout the different subdivisions of the olfactory bulb such as the olfactory nerve layer and the granule cell layer. While the extensions of EM-L-ir fibres were seen along the medial olfactory tract, intensely labeled EM-L-ir somata were found in different subdivisions of the telencephalon. In the diencephalon, intensely stained EM-L-ir neurones were noticed in the preoptic area, the nucleus preopticus pars magnocellularis, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the nucleus lateralis tuberis pars lateralis (NLTl) and the nucleus lateralis tuberis pars medialis (NLTm) regions, whereas projections of EM-L-ir fibres were also seen along the hypothalamo-hypophyseal tract suggested a possible hypophysiotrophic role for these neurones. Intense to moderately stained EM-L-ir neurones were noticed in different subdivisions of thalamic nucleus such as the dorsal posterior thalamic nucleus, commissura posterior, ventromedial thalamic nucleus, nucleus posterior tuberis, ventrolateral thalamic nucleus and medial preglomerular nucleus. Numerous intensely stained perikarya and axonal fibres were also noticed throughout the inferior lobe, along the periventricular margin of the reccessus lateralis, and in the nucleus recesus lateralis regions. In addition, numerous moderately labeled EM-like neuronal populations were found in the secondary gustatory nucleus and rostral spinal cord. The widespread distribution of EM-L-ir neurones throughout the brain and spinal cord indicate diverse roles for these cells in neuroendocrine and neuromodulatory responses for the first time in fish. The study provides further insight into the possible existence of EM-like peptides in early vertebrate lines and suggests that these peptides might have been well-conserved during the course of evolution.

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