Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology
Author: Ana Abrego Alvarez | Email: francoluceroarteaga@hotmail.com
Ana Abrego Alvarez1°, Franco Lucero Arteaga1°2°,Ana Inés Portu1°, Mariela Mondino1°, Mónica Alejandra Boeris1°, Valentina Heck1°, Sofía Labegorra1°, Ana Cristina Bratanich3°, Bruno Ribeiro Do Couto4°, José Luis ferrán4°
1° Centro de producción de Animales de Experimentación, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa.
2° Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)
3° National Institute of Animal Production (INPA-CONICET), Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Buenos Aires.
4° Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain. Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia –IMIB, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain.
Chaetophractus villosus, commonly known as the big hairy armadillo, is a species of armadillo found primarily in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. This nocturnal and omnivorous armadillo feeds on insects, small vertebrates, corpses and plant material plays an important role in its ecosystem by influencing soil dynamics and contributing to seed dispersal. Our aim was to identify the main hypothalamic neuronal derivatives in the peduncular and terminal regions of the Chaetophractus villosus. The study was performed using immunoreactions with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), Calbindin (CB), Calretinin (CR) NeuN, Adenosine-vasopressin (AVP), Oxytocin (OXT), Neurophysin I, II (NF1, NF2), and Melanin-concentrating-hormone (MCH). True topological sagittal, transverse and horizontal sections were obtained using a vibrome and sliding microtome. After processing, they were mounted on slides and some of them processed for fluorescent immunoreactions. Using the prosomeric model as a reference for analysis, TH positive alar plate neurons were detected in the terminal and peduncular prosomeres in both species. In addition, AVP and OXT identified both supraoptic (SO) and paraventricular (PV) nuclei. In the tuberal region (basal plate), TH positive cells were observed periventricularly, in the arquate and A13 nuclei. The Chaetophractus villosus (Xenarthra) is a key model for determining novelties or conserved homologous derivatives characterized in rodents. Grant: Fundación Seneca (21903/PI/22).