Fig. 1.

Representative photomicrographs of sections from rats with injections of Blank-SAP (left) or NK₃-SAP (right) in the arcuate nucleus, stained with Cresyl-violet (A) or immunohistochemistry (B–H). A, Cresyl violet-stained sections show preservation of the Nissl architecture in NK₃-SAP rats. B–D, NK₃-SAP rats exhibited near total depletion of NK₃R, NKB, and kisspeptin-ir neurons and fibers in the arcuate nucleus and median eminence. E, The majority of dynorphin-ir neurons and fibers in the arcuate nucleus and median eminence were ablated in NK₃-SAP rats. F and G, There was no difference in the number of POMC neurons or NPY fiber density between Blank-SAP and NK₃-SAP rats. H, GnRH fibers in the median eminence were preserved in NK₃-SAP rats. 3V, Third ventricle; ARC, arcuate nucleus; ME, median eminence; pro-DYN, prodynorphin; VMN, ventromedial nucleus. Scale bar, 100 μm.