Immunodetection of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and prolactin (PRL) in Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera: Monogononta).

Abstract

The endocrine system controls and coordinates behavioral, biochemical, and physiological processes through signal mechanisms using neuropeptides or products of neurosecretory cells. Among invertebrates, this system is poorly studied in rotifers, in which estrogens and androgens significantly affect sexual reproduction. This is the first report of the presence of the Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and Prolactin (PRL) in rotifers. Analyses included the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method with primary antibodies LH (Anti-Rat LH serum for RIA), PRL (Anti-Rat PRL serum for RIA), FSH (Anti-Rat FSH serum for RIA) and TSH (Anti-Rat TSH serum for RIA). These hormones were found in females, males and parthenogenetic and sexual eggs of the freshwater Brachionus calyciflorus. The immunoreactivity of FSH, LH, TSH and PRL in females was observed in: ovaries, cerebrum, mastax, stomach, lorica, and the stomach gland. However, in males LH was observed only at the trochal disk and cerebrum. The hormones FSH, TSH and PRL, were observed in testicles, contractil vesicles, and cementary gland of males. Regarding amictic or parthenogenetic eggs, the hormones LH, FSH, TSH, and PRL were located mainly in the micromeres, and the staining in the macromeres was weak. On the other hand, in the mictic or sexual eggs the inner shell is stained for the hormones PRL and LH, opposite to the staining of FSH and TSH, located mainly in the embryo. In general, immuno-reactivity was observed in areas important for the reproductive, excretory, digestive and developmental processes.

Full text

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Rev. Biol. Trop. (Int. J. Trop. Biol. ISSN-0034-7744) Vol. 57 (4): 1049-1058, December 2009
Immunodetection of Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Follicle-Stimulating
Hormone (FSH), Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and Prolactin (PRL)
in Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera: Monogononta)
Jesús Alvarado-Flores1, María Del Rosario Montoya-Garcia2, Javier Ventura Juárez3 & Roberto
Rico-Martínez4
1. Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Avenida Universidad 940, Aguascalientes,
C.P. 20100, México; jalvaflo@yahoo.com.mx
2. Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Avenida Universidad 940,
Aguascalientes, 20100, México; rosariomg2003@yahoo.com.mx
3. Dpto. de Morfología, Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Avenida Universidad
940, C.P. 20100, Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, México; jventur@correo.uaa.mx
4. Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Departamento de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Avenida
Universidad 940, Aguascalientes, C. P. 20100, México; rrico@correo.uaa.mx
Received 29-xi-2008. Corrected 06-iii-2009. Accepted 07-iV-2009.
Abstract: The endocrine system controls and coordinates behavioral, biochemical, and physiological processes
through signal mechanisms using neuropeptides or products of neurosecretory cells. Among invertebrates, this
system is poorly studied in rotifers, in which estrogens and androgens significantly affect sexual reproduction.
This is the first report of the presence of the Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH),
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and Prolactin (PRL) in rotifers. Analyses included the avidin-biotin-per-
oxidase complex method with primary antibodies LH (Anti-Rat LH serum for RiA), PRL (Anti-Rat PRL serum
for RiA), FSH (Anti-Rat FSH serum for RiA) and TSH (Anti-Rat TSH serum for RiA). These hormones were
found in females, males and parthenogenetic and sexual eggs of the freshwater Brachionus calyciflorus. The
immunoreactivity of FSH, LH, TSH and PRL in females was observed in: ovaries, cerebrum, mastax, stomach,
lorica, and the stomach gland. However, in males LH was observed only at the trochal disk and cerebrum. The
hormones FSH, TSH and PRL, were observed in testicles, contractil vesicles, and cementary gland of males.
Regarding amictic or parthenogenetic eggs, the hormones LH, FSH, TSH, and PRL were located mainly in the
micromeres, and the staining in the macromeres was weak. On the other hand, in the mictic or sexual eggs the
inner shell is stained for the hormones PRL and LH, opposite to the staining of FSH and TSH, located mainly
in the embryo. in general, immuno-reactivity was observed in areas important for the reproductive, excretory,
digestive and developmental processes. Rev. Biol. Trop. 57 (4): 1049-1058. Epub 2009 December 01.
Keywords: Gonadotropic hormones, lactogenic hormones, thyroid hormones, Rotifera, invertebrates.
The endocrine system controls and coordi-
nates behavioral, biochemical, and physiologi-
cal processes through signal mechanisms using
neuropeptides or products of neurosecretory
cells specialized in this system. Among inver-
tebrates, this system has been mostly studied
in coelenterates, nematodes, mollusks, anne-
lids, crustaceans, insects, echinoderms, and
tunicates (Wigham et al. 1975, Terakado et al.
1997, Pinder et al. 1999, Wheeler 2003, Wil-
hem 2006, Hutchinson 2007). in rotifers, there
is evidence that estrogens and androgens affect
significantly sexual reproduction. Among the
hormones tested for its effects on population
growth in rotifers are: gama-aminobutiric acid,
growth hormone, human chorionic gonado-
tropic hormone, estradiol, triiodothyronine,
20-hydroxyecdisone, 5-hydroxytryptamine,

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and juvenile hormone (Gallardo et al. 1997,
2000, Preston et al. 2000).
The catecholaminergic and cholinergic
system of several rotifer species has been
studied by several authors (Nogrady & Alai
1983, Raineri 1984, Kotikova 1995, 1998,
Kotikova et al. 2005, Pineda-Rosas et al.
2005), who have identified acethylcholinest-
erase activity and its receptors were described
and the general characteristics of these systems
were corroborated. The cholinergic system is
involved in the reproduction and the fertility
control because some neuropeptides control
the synthesis of selected glycoproteins like the
luteinizing hormone (LH) and gonadotropin
(Vijayan 1985). The presence of exocitotic pro-
teins such as Sintaxin-1, Sintaxin-4, SNAP-23
and SNAP-25 in rotifers suggests a mechanism
of neurosecretion via exocitotic vesicles of
enzymes, and other molecules, like hormones,
related to glandular secretions (Pérez-Legaspi
et al. 2008) which are employed in diverse
mechanisms. Snell & Joaquim-Justo (2007),
suggest that since rotifers are particularly sen-
sitive to androgenic and anti-androgenic sub-
stances, their use as models to study the nature
and the impact of substances that are potential
endocrine disruptors.
The invertebrates have developed a great
diversity of lifestyles combining larval for-
mation, followed by a succession of different
stages, metamorphosis, production of resting
eggs or other kind of resting stages, which are
not produced in vertebrates, it is evident that
the endocrine systems of invertebrates is more
diverse than that of vertebrates (Oehlmann &
Schulte-Oehlmann 2003). in fact, the unicellu-
lar protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis contains
several types of molecules, which are immuno-
logically similar to the glycoprotein hormones
of the human pituitary gland (FSH, LH, and
TSH), and that treatment with these molecules
induced production of the appropriate hormone,
and this effect is transmitted to the progeny
generations (Csaba & Kovács 2000). Likewise,
TSH has been identified in the annelid Eise-
nia fetida, in both neuronal and non-neuronal
cells of the central nervous system and several
peripheral organs (Di Fiore et al. 1997). Fur-
thermore, there have been reports of the pres-
ence of TSH receptors in several invertebrates:
Caenorhabditis elegans (nematode), the fruit
fly, Drosophila melanogaster and the freshwa-
ter gastropod Limnaea stagnalis (Tensen et al.
1994, Hauser et al. 1997, Eriksen et al. 2000,
Kudo et al. 2000).
Several authors reported the presence of
PRL in invertebrates. Quintanar et al. (2007a)
found PRL in larval stages of the nematode
Trichinella spiralis, in the nervous and repro-
ductive systems of cestodes: Ligula intestinalis
(Liu et al. 1995), Taenia solium and Taenia
hydatigena (Liu et al. 1996), and it has been
found in granules of neurons in insects: Leu-
cophaena maderae (Veenstra et al. 1985),
Apis mellifera (Schmid et al. 1990), Locusta
migratoria and Sarcophaga bullata (Swinnen
et al. 1990).
However, the presence, function, and dis-
tribution of hormones in rotifers have been
poorly studied (see Wallace et al. 2006).
Therefore, the goal of this contribution is to
demonstrate the presence of the gonadotropic
hormones; Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), the thy-
roid hormone, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
(TSH) and the lactogenic hormone, Prolactin
(PRL) in females, males, parthenogenetic and
mictic eggs of the freshwater rotifer Brachio-
nus calyciflorus.
MATERiALS AND METHODS
Rotifer collection and culture: The fresh-
water rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus (Pallas
1766) was collected from the water treatment
pond of the Universidad Autónoma de Aguas-
calientes, Mexico, geographic coordinates of
this site have been already published (Pérez-
Legaspi & Rico-Martínez 1998). The roti-
fer was cultured according to the protocol
of Pérez-Legaspi & Rico-Martínez (1998).
Such protocol implies the use of a bioclimatic
chamber with a 16:8 dark:light period and
a temperature of 25±2ºC, where the rotifers
were kept in Petri dishes with EPA medium

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(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1985).
Rotifers were fed with the green alga Nanno-
chloris oculata (strain LB2194 of the Univer-
sity of Texas Collection) grown in Bold´s Basal
Medium (Nichols 1973). Typically 10-15 Petri
dishes containing each from 100 to 500 rotifer
females were kept.
Rotifer embedding: Rotifers were col-
lected from cultures, 500 to 1000 amictic
females of different ages (without making
distinctions) for this species in 1.0ml of EPA
medium by transferring them into a microcen-
trifuge tube of 1.5ml and added 100µl of 10%
formalin solution for 30min to sacrifice and fix
animals. Subsequently they were centrifuged
at 4 000rpm to eliminate the supernatant and
then we add drop by drop 2% liquid agar into
the rotifer pellets until they became hard. Then
the rotifer-agar-pellets were fixed in 5ml of
3% formalin plus Bouin’s fixative solution
(saturated aqueous picric acid solution, 37-40%
formalin, and glacial acetic acid, according to
McElroy et al. 1994). After one-hour fixation
the rotifer-agar-pellet were rinsed in water for
one hour, dehydrated in a series of ethanol
solutions (80, 96, 100% for 20, 30 and 30min,
respectively), and ethanol plus xylol (1:1) for
30min, and 100% xylol for 25min (2x). Subse-
quently one paraffin drop plus 1.0mg of sudan
iV was added for one hour at 58°C. Finally the
rotifers were transferred into 100% paraffin
liquid at 56°C for 12hr. Then 3µm thick sec-
tions were cut by a microtome and the section
were fixed to microscope slides, the sections
were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and
examined under a compound light microscope
as morphological reference.
Immunohistochemical method: To dem-
onstrate immunoreactivity of the LH, FSH,
TSH and PRL hormones, the avidin-biotin-
peroxidase complex method was practiced
(Hsu et al. 1981), using the kit (Vectastin
ABC kit, Dimension Laboratories inc., CA,
U.S.A.) with slight modifications (Quintanar
et al. 2007b). Primary antibodies LH (Anti-
Rat LH serum for RiA), PRL (Anti-Rat PRL
serum for RiA), FSH (Anti-Rat FSH serum
for RiA) and TSH (Anti-Rat TSH serum for
RiA) were used at 1:20, 1:30, 1:50 and 1:100
dilutions, respectively; which are intermediate
values according to manufacturer’s suggestion
and previous results (Salinas et al. 2004). All
samples exposed to primary antibodies were
incubated at 4°C overnight. The peroxidase
complex was visualized by incubating the sec-
tions with 0.05% diaminobenzidine and 0.01%
H2O2. Slides were positive with immunohis-
tochemistry staining showing a brown dark
color, negative slides showed no color.
RESULTS
The results of the Brachionus calyciflorus
immunodetection experiments are shown in
figures 1 to 4 that correspond to females (Fig.
1), male (Fig. 2), amictic egg (Fig. 3) and mic-
tic egg (Fig. 4).
Female: Control rotifers were stained with
hematoxylin-eosin (sagittal cut, Fig. 1B) where
several structures can be observed: muscular
bands (Mb), cerebrum (Ce), pharynx (Ph),
stomach gland (Sg), lorica (Lg), mastax (M),
cerebral eye (E), dorsal palp (Dp), trophi (Tr),
and vitellum (Vt). in Fig. 1C (transversal
cut) the positive immunoreactivity to FSH, in
stomach (St), stomach gland (Sg), contractile
gland (Cg), trophi (Tr), and vitellum (Vt) is
shown. Positive immunoreactivity to TSH is
shown in Fig. 1D (sagittal cut) in cerebrum:
(Ce), lorica (Lg), mastax (M), trophi (Tr), and
vitellum (Vt). Positive immunoreactivity to LH
is shown Fig. 1E (transversal cut) in: cerebrum
(Ce), stomach (St), stomach gland (Sg), lorica
(Lg), and mastax (M). Positive immunoreac-
tivity to PRL is shown in Fig. 1F (sagittal cut)
in: cerebrum (Ce), stomach (St), stomach gland
(Sg), lorica (Lg), mastax (M), trophi (Tr), and
vitellum (Vt), the latest one being the most
stained.
Male: Control males were stained with
hematoxylin-eosin (saggital cut, Fig. 2B) where
it is possible to observe muscular bands (Mb),

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trochal disk (Td), penis (Pe), testicles (T), and
contractile vesicle (Cv). The Fig. 2C (sagital
cut) shows positive immunoreactivity for FSH
in trochal disk (Td), cement gland (Cg), tes-
ticles (T), and contractile vesicle (Cv). in Fig.
2D (sagital cut) shows positive immunoreactiv-
ity to TSH in trochal disk (Td), contractile ves-
icle (Cv), and testicles (T). The Fig. 2E (sagital
cut) shows positive immunoreactivity to LH
trochal disk (Td), and cerebrum (Ce). in Fig. 2F
(sagital cut) there is positive immunoreactivity
to PRL in cerebrum (Ce), cement gland (Cg),
contractile vesicle (Cv), and testicles (T), the
latest one being the most intense.
Parthenogenetic Egg: Control eggs were
stained with hematoxylin-eosin (transversal
cut, Fig. 3B) showing different types of cells:
macromeres (Ma), micromeres (Mi), and the
nuclei (Nu). in Fig. 3C (transversal cut) there
is positive immunoreactivity to FSH very weak
in the macromeres (Ma), but very strong in
Fig. 1. Results of the experiments in Brachionus calyciflorus females. (A) main structures of a typical Brachionus calyci-
florus female as observed in the light microscope. (B) saggital cut of a control animal stained with hematoxylin and eosine.
(C) transversal cut showing positive immunoreactivity to FSH. (D) saggital cut showing positive immunoreactivity to TSH.
(E) Transversal cut showing positive immunoreactivity to LH. (F) revealing positive immunoreactivity to PRL, saggital cut.
All images were contrasted with hematoxylin.
Abbreviations: muscular bands (Mb), cerebrum (Ce), trochal disk (Td), stomach (St), pharynx (Ph), stomach gland (Sg),
cementary gland (Cg), loriga (Lg), mastax (M), cerebral eye (Ce), foot (F), dorsal palp (Dp), nephridial tubes (Nt), trophi
(Tr), vitellum (Vt). The yellow bar at the posterior margin of each figure equals 20 µm.

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micromeres (Mi), especially in the nuclei (Nu).
in Fig. 3D (transversal cut) there is positive
immunoreactivity to TSH in macromeres (Ma),
micromeres (Mi), and nuclei (Nu). in Fig. 3E
(transversal cut) there is positive immunoreac-
tivity to LH in macromeres (Ma), micromers
(Mi), and nuclei (Nu). The Fig. 3F (transver-
sal cut) shows immunoreactivity to PRL in
macromeres (Ma), and micromeres (Mi) the
latest one being the most intense.
Mictic Egg: Control sexual eggs were
stained with hematoxylin-eosin (transversal
cut, Fig. 4B) showing the outer shell (Os), inner
shell (is), and embryo (E). The Fig. 4C (trans-
versal cut) shows positive immunoreactivity
Fig. 2. Results of the experiments in Brachionus calyciflorus males. (A) main structures of a typical Brachionus calyciflorus
male as observed in the light microsocpe. (B) saggital cut of a control male stained with hematoxylin and eosine. (C) sag-
gital cut showing immunoreactivity to FSH. (D) saggital cut demonstrating positive immunoreactivity to TSH. (E) saggital
cut showing positive immunoreactivity to LH. (F) saggital cut showing positive immunoreactivity to PRL. All images were
contrasted with hematoxylin.
Abbreviations: muscular bands (Mb), cerebrum (Ce), trochal disk (Td), cementary gland (Cg), foot (F), nephridial tubes
(Nt), penis (P), contractile vesicle (Cv). The black bar at the posterior margin of each figure equals 10 µm.

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Fig. 3. Results of the experiments with amictic eggs of Brachionus calyciflorus. (A) amictic egg showing the main structures
as seen with the light microscope. (B) control egg stained with hematoxylin and eosine, transversal cut. (C) Positive immu-
noreactivity to FSH, transversal cut. (D) Positive immunoreactivity to TSH, transversal cut. (E). Positive immunoreactivity
to LH, transversal cut (F). Positive immunoreactivity to PRL, transversal cut. All images were contrasted with hematoxylin.
Abbreviations: ectoderm (Ec), endoderm (En), macromere (Ma), micromere (Mi), mesoderm (Ms), nucleus (Nu). The black
bar at the posterior margin of each figure equals 10 µm.
Fig. 4. Results of the experiments with mictic eggs of Brachionus calyciflorus. (A) mictic egg showing the main structures as
seen with the light microscope. (B) control egg stained with hematoxylin and eosine, transversal cut. (C) Positive immunoreactiv-
ity to FSH, transversal cut. (D) Positive immunoreactivity to TSH, transversal cut. (E) Positive immunoreactivity to LH, trans-
versal cut. (F) Positive immunoreactivity to PRL, transversal cut. All images were contrasted with hematoxylin. Abbreviations:
embryo (E), inner shell (is), and outer shell (Os). The black bar at the posterior margin of each figure equals 10 µm.

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to FSH in the inner shell (is), and the embryo
(E). in Fig. 4D (transversal cut) there is posi-
tive immunoreactivity to TSH in the outer shell
(Os) and embryo (E). The Fig. 4E (transversal
cut) shows positive immunoreactivity to LH in
the outer shell (Os) and in the inner shell (is).
in Fig. 4F (transversal cut) there is positive
immunoreactivity to PRL in the outer shell
(Os), inner shell (is), and embryo (E).
DiSCUSSiON
Our contribution represents the first report
of the presence of the Luteinizing Hormone
(LH), Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH),
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and Pro-
lactin (PRL) in rotifers. These hormones were
found in females, males and parthenogenetic
and sexual eggs of the freshwater Brachionus
calyciflorus. The immunoreactivity of FSH,
LH, TSH and PRL in females was observed
in ovaries, cerebrum, mastax, stomach, loriga,
and the stomach gland. However, in males LH
is observed only at the trochal disk and cere-
brum. The hormones FSH, TSH and PRL, are
observed in testicles, contractil vesicles, and
cementary gland of males.
Regarding amictic or parthenogenetic
eggs, the hormones LH, FSH, TSH, and PRL
are located mainly in the micromeres, and the
staining in the macromeres is weak. On the
other hand, the mictic or sexual eggs the inner
shell is stained for the hormones PRL and
LH, opposite to the staining of FSH and TSH,
located mainly in the embryo.
in general, the immunoreactivity was
observed in areas important for the reproduc-
tive, excretory, digestive and developmen-
tal processes. These areas stained for the
hormones match the areas where the colin-
ergic and catecolaminergic systems have been
reported (Nogrady & Alai 1983, Raineri 1984,
Kotikova, 1995, 1998, Kotikova et al. 2005,
Pineda-Rosas et al. 2005). Furthermore, in
these areas there have been already reports of
the presence of exocitotic proteins in rotifers,
suggesting the presence of a cholinergic
system coupled to a hormone release system
(Pérez-Legaspi et al. 2008).
What is the function of these hormones
in rotifers? When T3 was added to algal food,
there were no effects in the population growth
of Brachionus plicatilis, but produced size
reduction in females (Gallardo et al. 1997).
Since TSH stimulates the production of T3 and
T4, perhaps the rotifer can use this hormone to
reduce female size as a mechanism to avoid
predation by visual predators or as a response
to any other environmental clue that favors size
reduction in females.
The presence of LH and FSH in amictic
and mictic eggs of B. calyciflorus suggests
their influence in the embryologic develop-
ment in this rotifer. The presence of LH and
FSH in females and males in areas like ovaries,
testicles and vitellum suggest its influence in
gonadic development and reproduction.
The hormone PRL has been located by
immunohistochemical techniques in glandular
regions of neuronal cells of the sea pineapple
Halocynthia roretzi (Terakado et al. 1997).
PRL has been described as very active induc-
ing cell proliferation and differentiation of
multiple tissues in humans (Coppenolle et al.
2004). Perhaps, PRL has a similar function
in rotifers stimulating cell proliferation and
differentiation. That function would fit right
with their ample distribution in females, males
and both types of eggs that were found in B.
calyciflorus.
The response of the ovaries of crustaceans
to the presence of FSH and LH from mammals,
indicates that such hormones can act in similar
ways in invertebrates (Zukowska-Arendarczyk
1981). Both hormones stimulate the synthesis
and secretion of sexual steroids in the gonads
of vertebrates. For examples, LH stimulates the
synthesis and secretion of testosterone that later
transforms into estrogens. High concentrations
of LH induce the formation of mature follicles
in the ovary. Similarly, FSH stimulates the
maturation process of follicles and of sperm
(Kawauchi & Sower 2006). it is noteworthy to
point out that rotifers responded to exposure
to several androgenic agents by reducing the

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fertilization rate and sexual reproduction (Pres-
ton et al. 2000, Snell & Joaquim-Justo 2007).
As more information on the catecholaminergic
and cholinergic systems of aquatic inverte-
brates (and the hormone secretion systems
attached to them), is unveiled, the more it will
be possible to know about the mode of action
and mechanisms of detoxification of these ani-
mals that could be used as toxicity models.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Sincere gratitude to Alejandro Perez-
Legaspi and José Luis Quintanar-Stephano for
their valuable support in the development of
this research, and to Rosa isela Sandoval for
methodological support.
RESUMEN
Se logró detectar la presencia de las hormo-
nas: Hormona Luteinizante (LH), Hormona Folículo
Estimulante (FSH), Hormona Estimulante de la Tiroides
(TSH) y Prolactina (PRL) en Brachionus calyciflorus
siendo el primer reporte de la presencia de dichas hormo-
nas en rotíferos. Estas hormonas fueron identificadas por
un método inmunológico-histológico-químico usando el
complejo avidina-biotina-peroxidasa con los siguientes
anticuerpos primarios: LH (Anti-Rata LH suero para RiA),
PRL (Anti-Rata PRL suero para RiA), FSH (Anti-Rata
FSH suero para RiA) y TSH (Anti-Rata TSH en suero
para RiA). Estas hormonas se encontraron en las hem-
bras, machos, huevos partenogenéticos y huevos sexuales
del rotífero dulceacuícola B. calyciflorus. La reactividad
inmunológica de FSH, LH, PRL y TSH en las hembras se
observó en ovarios, cerebro, mástax, estómago, lorica, y la
glándula del estómago. Sin embargo, en machos, la LH se
observó sólo en el disco trocal y cerebro mientras que las
hormonas FSH, PRL y TSH, se observaron en testículos,
vesícula contráctil, y la glándula cementaria. En cuanto a
los huevos partenogenéticos o amícticos, las hormonas LH,
FSH, TSH, y PRL, se encontraron principalmente en los
micrómeros, y en los macrómeros la tinción es débil. Por
otra parte, el huevo sexual o míctico muestra reactividad
inmunológica en la cubierta interior del huevo para las
hormonas LH y PRL, lo contrario para FSH y TSH, las
cuales se observaron principalmente en el embrión. La
reactividad inmunológica fue observada, en general, en
áreas importantes para los procesos reproductivos, excreto-
rios, digestivos y del desarrollo.
Palabras claves: hormonas gonadotrofinas, hormonas lac-
togénicas, hormonas tiroideas, Rotífera, invertebrados.
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