Localization of immunoreactive lipocortin-1 in the brain and pituitary gland of the rat. Effects of adrenalectomy, dexamethasone and colchicine treatment.

The presence and localization of endogenous lipocortin-1 (LC-1, a protein which has been proposed to mediate the anti-inflammatory actions of the glucocorticoids) was studied by immunohistochemical techniques in rat brain and pituitary. A polyclonal antiserum specific for a fragment of lipocortin-1 (alpha alpha 1-188) was used to visualize immunoreactive LC-1 (iLC-1) in both neuronal and non-neuronal cell structures. Neuronal staining, which was independent of microtubular axonal transport mechanisms (in that it was not affected by blockade of axonal transport), was found in varicose nerve fibres in various regions of the brain. In addition, iLC-1 was found in the cytoplasm of neuronal cells throughout the brain. Of all brain regions which showed iLC-1, only the hippocampal neurons showed a reduced staining intensity after adrenalectomy. However, iLC-1 was not affected by dexamethasone treatment. Non-neuronal iLC-1 was found in ependymocytes lining the cerebral ventricles and aqueduct. In addition, iLC-1 was found in tanycytes in all circumventricular organs studied and in the ventral walls of the third ventricle, where some of the branching tail processes appeared to envelop local capillaries and neuronal cell bodies. A tancycyte-mediated release of LC-1 from varicose nerve fibres into the portal vasculature is proposed.