Somatostatin fibers and their relationship to specific cell types (GH and TSH) in the rat anterior pituitary

Fibers immunocytochemically stained for somatostatin (growth hormone-release-inhibiting hormone) were localized in the anterior pituitaries of rats. Initial studies of fiber localization involved the use of thick frozen (30 micron) sections which allowed visualization of fibers as they coursed along the periphery of the anterior lobe in the sagittal plane and along blood vessels throughout the lobe. Fibers were observed most often at the rostral, caudal, and lateral poles. In thinner (1-3 micron) paraffin sections, stained somatostatin fibers could be localized in close proximity to cells that were stained for growth hormone or thyroid stimulating hormone in a double stain with a second peroxidase substrate. These and our previous light microscopic studies show that a few neuronal processes containing neurotransmitters extent beyond the level of the median eminence (or perhaps from a peripheral source), penetrate the anterior lobe in specific regions, and lie in close proximity to cells known to be controlled by the transmitter.