Time of genesis determines projection and neurokinin-3 expression patterns of diencephalic neurons containing melanin-concentrating hormone

Anatomical and functional evidence suggests that the diencephalic melanin-concentrating hormone-(MCH-) containing neurons do not form a homogeneous population. In this work, the expression of the neurokinin-3 receptor (NK3) has been researched in MCH neurons which have been retrogradely labelled following fast blue injections into either the spinal cord or the cerebral cortex. The birth-date of these cortically and spinally projecting cells has been determined using the bromodeoxyuridine method. The results obtained show that neurons projecting to the spinal cord are born early (E11) and most of them (78,7%) do not express NK3, but neurons that send axons to the cerebral cortex are born later (E12-E13) and most of them (84,8%) express NK3. Both neuronal types are largely intermingled in the lateral hypothalamic area proper. These results are discussed in terms of the functional organization of the MCH neuronal population.