The effect of hypothalamic lesions on the pars intermedia of the ferret

Comparison of long-term perifused pars intermedia of Anolis carolinensis, Rana pipiens and Hyla chrysoscelis: their responses to dopamine

Pituitary pars nervosa-pars intermedia of Anolis carolinensis, Rana pipiens and Hyla crysoscelis were perifused with synthetic medium 199 for up to 35 h. The pre- and post-perifused tissues were examined by electron microscopy. No neuronal endings were found in Anolis tissue, but both Rana and Hyla had occasional synaptic end bulbs, which remained visible in the post-perifused tissue, although the synaptic vesicles appeared to cluster in the center of the end bulbs. Exposure to dopamine HCl from 10(-8) to 10(-5) M had little effect on Anolis pituitary but inhibited Rana and Hyla pituitaries from releasing skin-darkening substances. The skin-darkening substances, presumably derivatives of the proopiomelanocortin molecule, were assayed on Anolis skin. No dose-dependent responses to dopamine were seen at the concentrations used. We saw the possibility of a short-loop feedback.