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Microglia in the neurohypophysis associate with and endocytose terminal portions of neurosecretory neurons

Microglia in the neurohypophysis associate with and endocytose terminal portions of neurosecretory neurons
Microglia in the neurohypophysis associate with and endocytose terminal portions of neurosecretory neurons

The rat neurohypophysis contains a population of microglial cells, the majority of which occupy a pericapillary position in the resting gland. The microglia are immunocytochemically identifiable by the presence of macrophage-associated antigens and resemble microglia of the CNS. Morphometry at light and electron microscopic levels reveals that such cells constitute approximately 19% of the intrinsic cell population, excluding the endothelial cells. Two other populations of neurohypophysial glial cells, parenchymatous pituicytes and fibrous pituicytes, do not express macrophage-associated antigens. The microglia have long processes which surround and, in some cases, engulf apparently viable portions of the magnocellular neurosecretory nerve terminals. A sequence of stages of selective endocytosis and degradation of the engulfed nerve terminals can be visualized within pericapillary microglia. Some phagosomes and secondary lysosomes contain morphologically intact neurosecretory granules; others contain partially destroyed neurosecretory granules or amorphous material all of which are identifiable as originating from the magnocellular neurosecretory terminals by their immunoreactivity for oxytocinor vasopressin-neurophysin. This finding indicates a novel role for the microglial cells in remodelling terminal arborizations of neurosecretory neurons and in processing or degrading hormones and peptides they contain. Because of their close and selective associations with other cellular elements of the neurohypophysis, any substances produced by microglia also have the potential to influence hormone secretion, pituicyte proliferation and neurohypophysial vasculature.

0306-4522
567-578
Pow, D.V.
8bb5dd6b-7527-415f-90b3-c9f4bc39ca4a
Perry, V.H.
8f29d36a-8e1f-4082-8700-09483bbaeae4
Morris, J.F.
a71cf93e-eff0-47af-afd7-2bd193121876
Gordon, S.
df664ae8-6319-4b1a-8f16-49f4a5fe760f
Pow, D.V.
8bb5dd6b-7527-415f-90b3-c9f4bc39ca4a
Perry, V.H.
8f29d36a-8e1f-4082-8700-09483bbaeae4
Morris, J.F.
a71cf93e-eff0-47af-afd7-2bd193121876
Gordon, S.
df664ae8-6319-4b1a-8f16-49f4a5fe760f

Pow, D.V., Perry, V.H., Morris, J.F. and Gordon, S. (1989) Microglia in the neurohypophysis associate with and endocytose terminal portions of neurosecretory neurons. Neuroscience, 33 (3), 567-578. (doi:10.1016/0306-4522(89)90409-0).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The rat neurohypophysis contains a population of microglial cells, the majority of which occupy a pericapillary position in the resting gland. The microglia are immunocytochemically identifiable by the presence of macrophage-associated antigens and resemble microglia of the CNS. Morphometry at light and electron microscopic levels reveals that such cells constitute approximately 19% of the intrinsic cell population, excluding the endothelial cells. Two other populations of neurohypophysial glial cells, parenchymatous pituicytes and fibrous pituicytes, do not express macrophage-associated antigens. The microglia have long processes which surround and, in some cases, engulf apparently viable portions of the magnocellular neurosecretory nerve terminals. A sequence of stages of selective endocytosis and degradation of the engulfed nerve terminals can be visualized within pericapillary microglia. Some phagosomes and secondary lysosomes contain morphologically intact neurosecretory granules; others contain partially destroyed neurosecretory granules or amorphous material all of which are identifiable as originating from the magnocellular neurosecretory terminals by their immunoreactivity for oxytocinor vasopressin-neurophysin. This finding indicates a novel role for the microglial cells in remodelling terminal arborizations of neurosecretory neurons and in processing or degrading hormones and peptides they contain. Because of their close and selective associations with other cellular elements of the neurohypophysis, any substances produced by microglia also have the potential to influence hormone secretion, pituicyte proliferation and neurohypophysial vasculature.

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Published date: 1989

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 489328
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/489328
ISSN: 0306-4522
PURE UUID: 91785c94-b1d9-47ae-a011-a0bde3aaf328

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Date deposited: 19 Apr 2024 17:10
Last modified: 05 Jun 2024 18:59

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Contributors

Author: D.V. Pow
Author: V.H. Perry
Author: J.F. Morris
Author: S. Gordon

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