Tuberoinfundibular pathway

Group of dopamine neurons that project from arcuate nucleus in hypothalamus

Tuberoinfundibular pathway shown in opaque blue, connecting that hypothalamus with the pituitary gland.

The tuberoinfundibular pathway refers to a population of dopamine neurons that project from the arcuate nucleus (a.k.a. the "infundibular nucleus") in the tuberal region of the hypothalamus to the median eminence.[1] It is one of the four major dopamine pathways in the brain. Dopamine released at this site inhibits the secretion of prolactin from anterior pituitary gland lactotrophs by binding to dopamine receptor D2.

Some antipsychotic drugs block dopamine in the tuberoinfundibular pathway, which can cause an increase in the amount of prolactin in the blood (hyperprolactinemia).

## Other dopamine pathways

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Other major dopamine pathways include:

* Mesocortical pathway
* Mesolimbic pathway
* Nigrostriatal pathway

## See also

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* Antipsychotic
* Dopamine

## References

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1. ^ Malenka RC, Nestler EJ, Hyman SE (2009). "Chapter 10: Neural and Neuroendocrine Control of the Internal Milieu". In Sydor A, Brown RY (eds.). Molecular Neuropharmacology: A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Medical. p. 249\. ISBN 9780071481274. "Relationship of the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. The anterior pituitary, or adenohypophysis, receives rich blood flow from the capillaries of the portal hypophyseal system. This system delivers factors released by hypothalamic neurons into portal capillaries at the median eminence. The figure shows one such projection, from the tuberal (arcuate) nuclei via the tuberoinfundibular tract to the median eminence."

## External links

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* ancil-745 at NeuroNames
* Diagram

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Neurotransmitter systems

Acetylcholine|

* Nucleus basalis of Meynert → Neocortex

* Septal nuclei (Medial septal nucleus) → Fornix → Hippocampus

* Striatum

BA/M|

| Dopaminergic pathways|

* Mesocortical pathway: Ventral tegmental area → Prefrontal cortices

* Mesolimbic pathway: Ventral tegmental area → Nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle

* Nigrostriatal pathway: Substantia nigra pars compacta → Caudate nucleus and putamen

* Tuberoinfundibular pathway: Hypothalamus (Infundibular nucleus) → Pituitary gland (Median eminence)

|

Norepinephrine|

* Locus coeruleus
* Lateral tegmental field

Serotonin pathways|

* Raphe nuclei
* Anterior raphespinal tract
* Lateral raphespinal tract

AA|

| Aspartate|

* Climbing fibers

|

GABA|

* Globus pallidus
* Rostromedial tegmental nucleus

Glycine|

* Renshaw cells

Glutamate|

* Thalamus
* Subthalamic nucleus
* Globus pallidus

*[a.k.a.]: also known as
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