Abstract

The immunologic and chromatographic behavior of vasopressin-like immunoreactivity (VP-LI) extracted from rat brain tissue has been studied. VP-LI present in acid extracts of hypothalamic, hippocampal, and septal tissue was found to be immunologically identical to synthetic AVP. When extracts of hypothalamic tissue were fractionated using high-performance liquid chromatography, Arg8-vasopressin (AVP) was shown to be the predominant immunoreactive species. In contrast, in addition to AVP, extrahypothalamic brain tissue extracts also contained a small second vasopressin-immunoreactive peak. The effect of water deprivation on brain vasopressin content and chromatographic profile was also studied. This treatment depleted VP-LI content in the posterior pituitary but did not greatly alter that of hypothalamic or extrahypothalamic brain. Microdissection studies showed that VP-LI content was reduced, but only in a restricted number of extrahypothalamic brain nuclei, and that water deprivation failed to alter or increased content in other areas. The results suggest that VP-ergic neurons in the rat brain may be differentially activated.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.