Effect of estradiol on the chick embryo tectum opticum and its interactions with forebrain resection

Abstract

SEXUAL STEROID HORMONES HAVE EFFECTS ON THE GROWTH, MATURATION, DIFFERENTIATION AND FUNCTIONALITY OF GLIAL AS WELL AS ON THE NEURONAL TYPE NERVE CELLS, EVEN IN AREAS UNASSOCIATED WITH REPRODUCTION, STIMULATING THE FORMATION OF SYNAPSIS, THE SYNTHESIS AND RELEASE OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS AND GROWTH FACTORS. IN ADDITION, THEY MAY EXERT BENEFICIAL NEUROPROTECTIVE TYPE EFFECTS, SUCH AS IN CASES OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IN WOMEN. THIS STUDY IS ABOUT THE EFFECT OF ESTRADIOL ON THE MATURATION OF THE LAMINATED STRUCTURE OF THE OPTIC TECTUM MALE AND FEMALE NORMAL CHICK EMBRYOS SUBMITTED TO EXPERIMENT ON ENCEPHALECTOMY AND TRANSPLANT OF THE PITUITARY PRIMORDIUM, BY MEASURING THE GRAY AND SUPERFICIAL FIBROUS, CENTRAL GRAY, CENTRAL ALBO, GRAY AND PERIVENTRIC FIBOUS ATRATA SLICES, ATAINED BY USING THE GOLGI-COX METHOD. THE RESULTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THE MAJORITY OF THE STARTA OF BOTH MALE AND FEMALE EMBRYOS IN COMPARISON TO THE INTACT GROUP TREATED WITH ESTRADIOL. IT WAS ALSO SEEN THAT PITUITARY SECTOMIZED ANIMALS SLOWED DOWN THE RECOVERY OF THE THICKNESS OF THE GRAY AND SUPERFICIAL FIBROUS STATA OF MALES AND FEMALES. THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT ESTRADIOL TREATMENT INDUCES THE FORMATION AND MATURATION OF CELLULAR ELEMENTS IN THE TECTUM OPTICUM LAMINATION OF CHICK EMBRYOS, IN BOTH MALES AND FEMALES, AND THAT THE EFFECT IS GREATER WHEN TECTAL STRUCTURE IS INTACT.