Localization Of Inhibin In Rat Tissues And Exploration On Its Transporting Mechanism

The aims of the study were to to determine the distribution of inhibin and inhibin-alpha subunits in some rat's tissues by using immunohistochemical method of SABC ( StreptAvidin-Biotin Complex), and to assess the transporting mechanism of inhibin by investigating the localization of inhibin in the central nervous system (maily in hypothalamus and pituitary) of intact and sexually matured ovariectomized rats.1.Immunohistochemical localization of inhibin in some extragonadal tissues of the ratSome extragonadal tissues were obtained from intact and ovariectomized rats, and immunohistochemically characterized with inhibin-a and inhibin monoclonal antibody. The result showed that inhibin and a subunits were expressed in hypothalamus , pituitary, heart , kidney , spleen , adrenal gland , pancreatic gland , lung , liver , and submaxillary gland cells of intact rats. Same positive expression was observed in heart , kidney , spleen , pancreatic gland cells in ovariectomized rats, while no positive sites were seen in hypothalamus , pituitary , lung , liver , submaxillary gland and adrenal gland. It suggested that inhibin and a subunits were not only restricted to the gonads, but they also presented in a wide variety of non-reproductive organs and tissues, including the heart , kidney , spleen and pancreatic gland. Also the result demonstreated that the inhibin distributing in hypothalamus and pituitary of intact rats was from the ovary.2. Exploring the transporting mechanism of inhibinThe localization of inhibin and a subunit were investigated in the hypothalamus and pituitary of ovariectomized rats which had been injected with inhibin-a subunit fragment (2μg )or inhibin crude extract (2μg ).The result showed that: with inhibin-a monoclonal antibody to detect the ovariectomized rats both showed positively; with inhibin antibody to detect the ovariectomized rats which had been injected with inhibin-a subunit fragment or inhibin crude extract , both showed positively again. The result suggested that both...