Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 111, Issues 1–2, 26 March 1990, Pages 170-175
Neuroscience Letters

Vasopressin mRNA in the neurolobe of the rat pituitary

https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(90)90363-EGet rights and content

Abstract

Pro-vasopressin-neurophysin mRNA (AVP mRNA) was assayed in the pituitary gland of rats from different strains, using a specific cRNA probe corresponding to exon C of the vasopressin gene. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of an about 650 base pair (bp) AVP mRNA in the neurolobe of all strains. No signal was found in the anterior or intermediate lobes. Partial nucleotide sequence analysis suggested identity with the genuine AVP mRNA. Osmotic stimulation with 2% saline or water deprivation increased AVP mRNA levels in a fashion that paralleled changes seen in the hypothalamus. The origin of the AVP mRNA in the neurolobe is uncertain but is likely to be the pituicytes. Transport of the mRNA into the nerve endings of hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular neurons is an alternative possibility.

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    AVP and OXT were long considered only to be stored and not produced in the neurohypophysis [53], but our group [24] and others have clearly demonstrated that the neurohypophysis can also be the site of AVP and OXT expression. Moreover, pituicytes are sensitive to osmotic changes [54,55], and the activation of AVP expression may be due to the osmosensitivity of neurohypophyseal cells [56,57]. Receptors and innervations relating to the monoaminergic regulators are to be found in several areas of the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system [35,58].

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