Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P01178 (oxytocin)
 15,767 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Oxytocin (OXY) injected into the hippocampus is reported to interfere with the formation of memory in experimental animals. Memory impairment is one of the distinguishing features of Alzheimer's disease. We have studied OXY immunoreactivity in postmortem brain tissue from 12 cases of histologically confirmed Alzheimer's disease and 13 controls. OXY concentration was increased 33% in the hippocampus and temporal cortex of Alzheimer brains (p less than 0.05), but normal in all other regions examined. Elevated hippocampal OXY levels may contribute to the memory disturbance associated with Alzheimer's disease.
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PMID:Oxytocin in Alzheimer's disease: postmortem brain levels. 358 15

A systematic endocrine investigation in dementia, depression and control subjects showed that plasma growth hormone (GH) was higher in the morning and plasma TSH concentrations were higher throughout the day in Alzheimer-type dementia (ATD) than in age-matched depressed patients (MDD), and plasma TSH concentrations were also higher throughout the day in female ATD compared with age-matched female control subjects. The increased plasma TSH concentrations could not be due to reduced negative feedback because plasma T3, T4 and rT3 were in the normal range. Plasma concentrations of oestrogen-stimulated neurophysin (ESN) were lower throughout the day in ATD compared with MDD and controls and lower in the morning compared with other dementias. The high plasma GH and TSH concentrations in ATD may reflect the reduced hypothalamic content of somatostatin in ATD, and the reduced concentrations of ESN may reflect reduced cholinergic activity in ATD brain. These selective hormonal changes provide a useful diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease.
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PMID:Characteristic plasma hormone changes in Alzheimer's disease. 365 5

A recent study has shown that vasopressin (AVP) cells in the human supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular (PVN) nuclei increase in size after 60 years of age, suggesting that AVP production is increased in senescence. In the present study, the same brain material was used for the determination of nucleolar size in immunocytochemically identified AVP and oxytocin (OXT) neurons as an additional parameter for peptide production. A strong correlation was found between nucleolar size and cell size, both in AVP and OXT neurons. Nucleolar size of AVP but not of OXT neurons increased significantly in senescence. Observations in brains from patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) were commensurate with their ages. These results strongly support the hypothesis that AVP neurons in the SON and PVN are activated in old age.
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PMID:Activation of vasopressin neurons in the human supraoptic and paraventricular nucleus in senescence and senile dementia. 389 63

The neuropeptides vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) are supposed to be involved not only in peripheral functions (e.g. diuresis, labour and lactation) but also in central processes that are frequently disturbed during aging and senile dementia (e.g. fluid and electrolyte homeostasis and cognitive functions). A concomitant decrease in activity of the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system (HNS) with aging has been postulated in the literature, but has not yet been established. In order to investigate possible age-related changes in the human HNS, immunocytochemically identified AVP and OXT neurons in the paraventricular and supraoptic nucleus (PVN and SON) were analysed morphometrically in subjects from 10 to 93 years of age, including patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT). Cell size was used as a parameter for peptide production. Mean profile area of OXT cells did not show any significant changes with increasing age. Mean profile area of AVP cells, however, showed an initial decrease up to the sixth decade of life, after which a gradual increase was observed. Size of AVP and OXT cell nuclei did not change significantly with aging. Observations in brains from patients with SDAT were within the range for their age group. The present results do not support degeneration or diminished function of the HNS in senescence or SDAT, as generally presumed in the literature, but suggest an activation of AVP cells after 80 years of age. The activation of AVP cells in senescence is in accordance with previous findings in the aged Wistar rat.
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PMID:The vasopressin and oxytocin neurons in the human supraoptic and paraventricular nucleus; changes with aging and in senile dementia. 404 17

Although senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type (SDAT) is a common disease associated with advancing age, recent studies have suggested that SDAT should not be considered synonymous with old age but a disease process separate from normal aging. This study examined the morphology of two neurochemically-defined neuronal populations (i.e., neurophysin, somatostatin) in the cortex and hypothalamus to determine if structural changes in these neuropeptide systems associated with advancing age are similar to those seen with SDAT. Our findings suggest that morphological changes consistent with neuronal degeneration occur in somatostatin but not neurophysin-containing neurons in cases diagnosed to have SDAT, and these structural changes are different from those seen in aged brain without central nervous system disease. These data support the concept that senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type is not a single neurochemical related disease, but may be associated with anatomical lesions and biochemical imbalances among a number of neuropeptide and neurotransmitter systems.
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PMID:Neuropeptides in aging and dementia. 614 37

The supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular nuclei (PVN) of the human hypothalamus are production sites of vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT). Although the hypothalamus is affected in Alzheimer's disease (AD), previous work has not only shown that in these two nuclei no neurons are lost, neither during aging nor in AD, but that the number of AVP-expressing neurons and their nucleolar size had even increased with age. These observations indicated that the peptide synthesis of the AVP neurons was activated in the oldest age-groups. Recently published, qualitative observations, using the area of the Golgi Apparatus (GA) as a sensitive parameter for neurosecretory activity, confirmed the activation of SON and PVN neurons with age in human; however, in this report the neurons were not identified according to their neuropeptide content. In the present quantitative study we determined whether the AVP neurons were indeed activated as a result of the aging process in controls and AD patients. We applied a polyclonal antiserum directed against the medial cisternae of the GA on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections taken from the dorsolateral SON (dl-SON) of 10 controls and 10 AD patients, and performed our measurements in this area that is known to be predominantly occupied (90-95%) by AVP neurons. In addition, the sparse OXT cells present in the area of study, were excluded from the measurements on the basis of alternative sections stained for OXT. In the dl-SON, the area occupied by the GA and the cellular profile area per patient were quaNtified by means of image analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Activation of vasopressin neurons in aging and Alzheimer's disease. 789 70

The supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the human hypothalamus produce vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT). Since in these nuclei no cells are lost during aging or Alzheimer's Disease (AD), factors are searched for which may be responsible for this remarkable stability. Earlier work in both rat and human indicated that the peptide synthesis of these neurons was activated in the oldest age groups as judged from increased neuronal and nuclear size and AVP plasma levels. The size of the Golgi Apparatus (GA) has proved to be a very sensitive parameter for the synthetic activity of these neurosecretory cells in animal experiments. In order to determine changes in the GA during aging and in Alzheimer's Disease, we applied a polyclonal antiserum against immunoaffinity purified MG-160, a sialoglycoprotein of the medial cisternae of the GA, on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded sections of the SON and PVN of patients ranging in age from 29 to 97 years. However, our standard fixation procedure masked antigenic sites resulting in a minimal immunocytochemical staining in most of the tissues examined. It appeared to be possible, however, to retrieve the antigen and to obtain an excellent staining of the GA by heating sections in a microwave oven before immunostaining. Following this procedure, an increase in size and intensity of the GA became apparent in individuals from about 70 years and older. In AD patients a similar increase in size and intensity of the immunostained GA was observed. Taken together, these results indicate that SON and PVN neurons are activated during the course of aging and also in AD and that this activation takes place at an earlier age than observed previously by other cellular parameters.
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PMID:Activation of the human supraoptic and paraventricular nucleus neurons with aging and in Alzheimer's disease as judged from increasing size of the Golgi apparatus. 814 18

The human hypothalamus is involved in a wide range of functions in the developing, adult and aging subject and is responsible for a large number of symptoms of neuroendocrine, neurological and psychiatric diseases. In the present review some prominent hypothalamic nuclei are discussed in relation to normal development, sexual differentiation, aging and a number of neuropathological conditions. The suprachiasmatic nucleus, the clock of the brain, shows seasonal and circadian variations in its vasopressin neurons. During normal aging, but even more so in Alzheimer's disease, the number of these neurons decreases. In homosexual men this nucleus is larger than in heterosexual men. The difference between the sexually dimorphic nuclei of men and women arises between the ages of 2-4 to puberty. In adult men this nucleus is twice as large as in adult women. In the process of aging, a sex-dependent decrease in cell number occurs. The vasopressin and oxytocin cells of the supraoptic and paraventricular nucleus are present in adult numbers as early as mid-gestation. Lower oxytocin neuron numbers are found in Prader-Willi syndrome, AIDS and Parkinson's disease. Familial hypothalamic diabetes insipidus is based upon a point mutation in the vasopressin-neurophysin-glycopeptide gene. Parvicellular corticotropin-releasing hormone-containing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus increase in number and are activated during the course of aging. In post-menopausal women, the infundibular or arcuate nucleus contains hypertrophic neurons containing oestrogen receptors. These neurons may be involved in the initiation of menopausal flushes. The nucleus tuberalis lateralis may be involved in feeding behaviour and metabolism. In Huntington's disease the majority of its neurons is lost; in Alzheimer's disease it shows very strong cytoskeletal alterations. Tuberomammillary nucleus neurons contain, e.g., histamine or galanine, and project to the cortex. Strong cytoskeletal changes, as well as plaques and tangles are found in this nucleus in Alzheimer's disease. The various hypothalamic nuclei are probably involved in many functions and symptoms of which only a minority has been revealed.
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PMID:Functional neuroanatomy and neuropathology of the human hypothalamus. 851 84

The distribution of vasopressin and oxytocin immunoreactive fibers was examined in the pontine parabrachial nucleus of the human brain using purified polyclonal antibodies. The results revealed a striking predominance of vasopressin in this brain region. No obvious density difference, either in vasopressin or in oxytocin innervation, was found between Alzheimer's disease patients and matched controls. The present study corroborates other reports that suggest that in Alzheimer's disease the vasopressin innervation in the caudal part of the human brain is not affected.
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PMID:Differential vasopressin and oxytocin innervation of the human parabrachial nucleus: no changes in Alzheimer's disease. 868 Aug 57

The neurohypophyseal hormones arginine-vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) are produced in the neurons of the hypothalamic supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular (PVN) nucleus and in the much smaller cells of the suprachiasmatic (SCN) nucleus. The SON is the main source of plasma AVP. Part of the AVP and OT neurons of the PVN join the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal tract, whereas others send projections to the median eminence or various brain areas, where AVP and OT are involved in a number of central functions as neurotransmitters/neuromodulators. AVP and OT from the PVN can also regulate via the autonomous innervation endocrine glands and fat tissue. OT is produced for a major part in the PVN but some OT neurons are present in the SON. Moreover, both AVP and OT containing neurons are observed in the "accessory nuclei", i.e. islands situated between the SON and PVN. The SCN is the biological clock, and the number of AVP expressing neurons in the SCN shows both diurnal and seasonal rhythms. In addition to these hypothalamic areas, AVP and OT may be found to a lesser extent in some other brain areas, such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, diagonal band of Broca, nucleus basalis of Meynert, lateral septal nucleus, globus pallidus and the anterior amygdaloid nucleus, as well as in the peripheral tissues. The AVP and OT containing neurons should not be considered as one system. Prominent functional differences exist between the different nuclei. The heterogeneity also becomes clear from the marked differences in the neurohypophyseal peptides containing neurons of the SON, PVN and SCN during aging, and in the most prevalent age-related neurodegenerative diseases, i.e. Alzheimer's disease (AD). For those reasons, we will discuss the SON, PVN and SCN separately.
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PMID:Neurohypophyseal peptides in aging and Alzheimer's disease. 1206


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