Abstract

To determine the presence of LHRH prohormone products in the human hypothalamus, antisera raised against LHRH and GnRH-associated peptide (GAP) were used to search for the presence of the corresponding antigens in the human adult and fetal hypothalamus by an immunohistochemical approach. The comparison of immunostaining on adjacent sections shows that all of the cells labeled with LHRH antiserum are also labeled with GAP antiserum and vice versa. Labeled cells are detectable during the 9th week of fetal life, this being the earliest time evaluated. At this time, the LHRH/GAP-positive cells frequently have a neuroblastic appearance. The first detectable fibers appear during the 11th week, and these were observed in the lamina terminalis cinerea and median eminence. In the adult brain, fibers and endings labeled with LHRH or GAP antiserum in the median eminence demonstrate the same topography and morphological characteristics, which are distinct from fibers labeled with other neuropeptide antisera. These results show that the LHRH precursor molecule is produced throughout life in the human hypothalamus, including the earliest stages of development of the peptidergic neurons. Moreover, the detection of LHRH- and GAP-positive fibers in the median eminence by the 11th week of fetal life suggests the possibility of an early role of LHRH and, possibly, other LHRH prohormone-derived peptides in the development of anterior pituitary function during the fetal period.