Effects of castration on hypothalamic catecholamines

Abstract

The effects of orchidectomy on the noradrenaline and dopamine in the anterior, middle, and posterior regions of the rat hypothalamus were studied. Castration produced an increase in noradrenaline and a decrease in dopamine in the anterior region of hypothalamus. Castration did not affect the noradrenaline concentration in the other hypothalamic regions or in the frontal cortex. The changes in the anterior hypothalamus were detected on the 10th and 20th days after gonadectomy but not on the 5th day after castration. The results suggest that adrenergic mechanisms within the anterior region of hypothalamus can be modified by gonadectomy. The role played by the hypothalamic catecholamines in the neuroendocrine control of gonadal function is discussed.