[Immunohistochemical localization of CRF in the hypothalamus of 3 rodents].

Antisera raised against the synthetic CRF allowed us to visualize by immunohistochemistry, the hypothalamic neurons which contain this peptide or a related substance. The perikarya are distributed in the paraventricular nucleus. They likely represent the origin of the numerous nerve terminals localized around the vessels of the hypophyseal portal plexus. In guinea-pig and rat after adrenalectomy and in the intact lerot, the pericapillary terminals reacting for CRF, also contain a substance related to bovine neurophysin. Moreover, in the guinea-pig, adrenalectomy appeared to induce a CRF-immunostaining in the LH-RH terminals.