Figure 8

Representative photomicrographs of ERalpha and ERbeta-immunoreactive cells (IHC staining) in AVPV of 150 day-old male Long-Evans rats. All the photomicrographs (coronal brain sections) are from animals fed an isoflavone-free diet (Phyto-free) from conception until time tissue collected. ER-immunoreactive (ir) cells were visualized with diaminobenzadine (DAB) and seen as brown nuclear staining. Sections were counterstained with hematoxylin (blue). A, C, E and G are representative photomicrographs of ERalpha IHC staining in AVPV (n = 2). B, D, F and H are ERbeta IHC stained sections within AVPV, which are 6 μm apart from A, C, E and G, respectively. Some cells are both ERalpha- and ERbeta-ir (stars for ERalpha and ERbeta). The number of cells in the AVPV that express both ERalpha and ERbeta is approximately 20–22% of the total number of cells within this nuclear structure. Some cells are only ERalpha-ir or ERbeta-ir (arrows in ERalpha or ERbeta). Bar = 25 μm for all the photomicrographs.