Distribution of the Cocaine and Amphetamine - Regulated Transcript (Cart) and Calcium Binding Proteins Immunoreactivity in the Preoptic Area of the Ram

The aim of the study was to describe the distributi on of cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and calcium binding proteins (CaBPs) of EF-hand family, namely calbindin, calretinin, and parvalbumin in the preopti c area (POA) of the ram. Frozen sections were processed for a routine immunofluorescence labelling. CART, calbindin, and calretin in immunoreactivity was present in neurons and fibers of the preoptic area, whereas parvalbumin showed immunoreactivity only in the POA fibers. CART displayed from a moderate to low immunoreactivity in cells and a high immunoreactivity in fibers. The highest immunoreactivity of all studied CaBPs exhibited calbindin, whereas the l owest parvalbumin. The results of the present study suggest that among the studied CaBPs, calbindin is the most likely to be in volved in the participation of the important regula tory functions in the ram’s POA and the rich CART innervation seems to be strictly re lated to its control of the reproduction.