Hypothalamus, acetylcholine activity

Cortistatin exhibits strong structural similarity to SST (Fig. 1), although it is the product of a different gene. By in situ hybridization cortistatin mRNA was detected in the cortex and hippocampus, where SST is also present, but not in the hypothalamus and some peripheral tissues where SST is abundant. Administration of cortistatin depresses neuronal electrical activity but, unlike SST, induces low-frequency waves in the cerebral cortex and antagonizes the effects of acetylcholine on hippocam-... 

The realisation that the hypothalamus contains substances capable of affecting pituitary activity naturally led to attempts to isolate and identify these neurohormones. It seemed unlikely that the traditional chemical transmitters of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system, acetylcholine and noradrenaline, were responsible since neither influenced adenohypophysial activity when injected directly into the pituitary gland. Histamine and adrenaline were also ineffective in this respect despite their being present in considerable quantities in the hypothalamus. Attempts to separate the hypothalamic hormones, or Veleasing hormones as they are known, has therefore primarily involved chemical extractions of the hypothalamus. This laborarious work, which has been... 

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