Immunohistochemical localization of neurotensin and β-endorphin in the rat anterior pituitary gland

Abstract Nakane's enzyme-labeled antibody technique revealed that cells containing neurotensin-like immunoreactivity were widely distributed in the anterior lobe of the pituitary body. Immunohistochemical studies on serial sections showed that a part of neurotensin positive anterior lobe cells contained β-endorphin-like peptide simultaneously. The results show that β-endorphin and neurotensin occur together in certain pituitary cells and this is an evidence of coexistence of more than one peptide within one anterior pituitary cell.