Human intestinal trefoil factor hITF, a polypeptide of the Pdomain family, was found
to occur in hypothalamic neurons. With combined immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase
technique we investigated the coexistence of hITF with the neurohypophysial peptide
oxytocin and the associated neurophysin I in sections of the human hypothalamus. In
the supraoptic nucleus, 39.2% of magnocellular oxytocinergic perikarya show hITF immunoreactivity.
A similar distribution was observed in perivascular hypothalamic oxytocinergic neurons,
whereas in the paraventricular nucleus, 99% of the oxytocinergic neurons show hITF
coexpression. In the periventricular nucleus (PEV), single, scattered neurons with
both immunoreactivities occur. Our findings indicate that hITF and oxytocin are coexpressed
in a portion of the magnocellular neurons in the human hypothalamus, and that hITF
is among the neurohypophysial peptides.
Key words
Human Hypothalamus - Magnocellular Nuclei - Trefoil Peptide - Oxytocin - Colocalization
