Elsevier

Brain Research

Volume 758, Issues 1–2, 30 May 1997, Pages 259-262
Brain Research

Short communication
Immunohistochemical localization of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in tanycytes, subcommissural organ and choroid plexus in the rat brain

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-8993(97)00342-9Get rights and content

Abstract

We investigated the immunohistochemical localization of the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in the rat brain. In addition to epithelial ependymal cells lining the ventricular wall, tanycytes in the basomedial hypothalamus were heavily immunostained. The immunoreactive processes of tanycytes made contacts to sinusoidal capillaries and reached the pial surface forming an immuno-positive structure at the floor of the hypothalamus. Other immunoreactive cells contained the subcommissural organ in the roof of the third ventricle and the epithelial lamina of the choroid plexus. The localization of MIF in cells which have contact with cerebrospinal fluid and blood vessels suggests that MIF might play a role as a humoral factor in the brain.

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      Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) is a pleiotropic protein, playing a key role in local and systemic inflammatory and immune responses (Baugh et al., 2002; Bernhagen et al., 1993; Morand et al., 2006) as well as in cell growth, particularly with respect to tumorigenesis (Fingerle-Rowson and Petrenko, 2007). MIF is known to be constitutively and highly expressed in the brain (Bernhagen et al., 1993; Nishibori et al., 1997), including neurons (Bacher et al., 1998; Nishibori et al., 1996), although the exact cellular pattern of MIF protein distribution remains unclear and divisive among studies. In the brain, MIF may affect neuronal and glial function under physiological and pathological conditions.

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