Effect of amygdaloid lesions on hypothalamic follicle-stimulating hormone-releasing factor in the female deermouse.

Abstract

Recently, it was found (Eleftheriou & Zolovick, 1967; Eleftheriou, Zolovick & Noman, 1967) that lesions placed in the basolateral amygdaloid nuclear complex result in continuous release of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the hypophysis of the male and female deermouse. These changes in LH are accompanied by low levels of hypothalamic LH-releasing factor (Eleftheriou, 1967). The mechanism by which lesions in the amygdaloid complex affect changes in the hypophysial and plasma LH as well as in that of hypothalamic LH-RF is not established. The present report deals with the effects of lesions placed in the basolateral amygdala on the content of hypothalamic follicular-stimulating hormonereleasing factor (FSH-RF) in the female deermouse (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii). Adult female deermice, weighing 15–19 g., were lesioned bilaterally by thermocoagulation in the basolateral nuclear group of the amygdala according to the stereotaxic atlas for the species described previously (Eleftheriou & Zolovick, 1965; Eleftheriou et al. 1967). Groups