The dopaminergic innervation of the intermediate lobe and of the neural lobe of the pituitary gland.

Abstract

The intermediate and the neural lobe of the pituitary gland are innervated by two, virtually independent, groups of dopaminergic neurons which, until recently, were considered as a uniform system and referred to as the "tubero-hypophyseal dopamine system". Some aspects of the separate physiological functions of these neurons in the intermediate and in the neural lobe, of their microanatomy and biochemistry as well as of dopamine release from their terminals are discussed in this review.