Immunoreactivity with “Hypothalamic” Neuropeptides in Neuronal Neoplasms of the Central Nervous System

Abstract

Ten neuronal tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) were studied using the peroxidaseantiperoxidase method of Sternberger, in regard to their immunohist, chemical reactivity to dynorphin (DYN), β-endorphin (END), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), somatostatin (SMT), neurophysin (NPY), vasopressin (VSP), and oxytocin (OXY). They are considered some of the representative neuropeptides normally associated with hypothalamic neurons. Seven of the tumors were located in the frontal, temporal or parietal lobes, two in the hypothalamo-pituitary region, and one in the pineal gland. Histologically, the tumors examined contained well-differentiated neuronal cells and ranged in diagnosis from gangliocytoma and ganglioglioma to ganglioneuroblastoma. Among these tumors, two hypothalamo-pituitary gangliocytomas, one frontal ganglidglioma, one temporal and one parietal ganglioneuroblastoma showed positive reactions for two or more of the neuropeptides in the cytoplasms and/or in the processes of neoplastic neuronal cells. Reactivity with DYN was found in three tumors, with END in two, with CRF in three, with SMT in three, with NPY in two, with VSP in three and with OXY in four. These results indicate that these neuronal neoplasms of the CNS are polyclonal tumors without topographic recapitulation of normal neurosecretion, and may have originated in dysgenetic focus of multipotential neuroblasts.