Abstract
Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the synergism between vasopressin and corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF). Sensitive and precise methods have been developed for the determination of corticotrophin (ACTH) and CRF. The chapter discusses a study in which these techniques have been employed to re-examine the functional activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical system in rats with inherited diabetes insipidus in an attempt to clarify the physiological role of vasopressin in the control of corticotrophin secretion. Male homozygous and heterozygous Brattleboro rats and normal (Long Evans) controls weighing between 150–200g were used. The results from the study suggest that while arginine vasopressin is not the corticotrophin releasing factor, it is involved in the sequence of events within the pituitary gland that leads to ACTH secretion. It seems unlikely that it acts by directly stimulating ACTH release as the concentration of the octapeptide in hypothalamic extracts from control animals is not sufficient to evoke directly ACTH secretion. However, it may act synergistically with CRF and potentiate its action at the pituitary level. The present data demonstrate clearly that minute, physiological concentrations of the hormone restore fully the biological activity of hypothalamic extracts prepared from Brattleboro rats.
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