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Query: UNIPROT:P01178 (oxytocin)
 15,767 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

As part of a continuing investigation of the steric and electronic functions of the disulfide group in neurohypophyseal hormones on their biological activity, the synthesis of "oxytocin lactam", [cyclo-(1-aspartic acid,6-alpha,beta-diaminopropionic acid)]oxytocin, has been undertaken. The protected nonapeptide was prepared in a stepwise manner by solution techniques; after removal of side-chain protecting groups, formation of the briding amide bonds was accomplished by oxidation-reduction condensation. The analogue possesses rat uterotonic, avian vasodepressor, and rat antidiuretic potencies of 16 +/- 2, 6.6 +/- 0.6, and 5.6 +/- 3.8 units/mg, respectively.
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PMID:Replacement of the disulfide bond in oxytocin by an amide group. Synthesis and some biological properties of (cyclo-(1-L-aspartic acid,6-L-alpha,beta-diaminopropionic acid))oxytocin. 61 41

Microdialysis sampling was used to measure the release of oxytocin (OXY) and monoamine and amino acid transmitters from the region of the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) during parturition and suckling in sheep. Results showed that OXY and gamma-aminobutyric acid release increased in both the MPOA and BNST during parturition and suckling. Noradrenaline (NA) release increased in both structures during parturition but not during suckling. Dopamine (DA) release increased in the MPOA and decreased in the BNST during both parturition and suckling. Aspartate release increased in the MPOA during parturition, and the BNST during suckling, and glutamate release increased in the MPOA and BNST at parturition and only in the BNST during suckling. No changes in the release of serotonin or taurine occurred in these structures during parturition or suckling. In a further experiment on 6 estrogen-primed sheep, OXY (10 micrograms/ml) was infused into the MPOA via bilaterally placed microdialysis probes. This treatment inhibited rejection behavior towards lambs, but did not activate positive maternal responses. These OXY infusions also stimulated release of NA. These results show that complex patterns of neurochemical release occur in two closely related areas of the brain, the BNST and MPOA, during parturition when maternal behavior is stimulated. However, while these patterns of release are similar in the two structures, particularly at birth when maternal behavior is stimulated, they are not identical during labor contractions and suckling. The release of oxytocin within the MPOA during parturition may be important for stimulating a reduction in aggression towards lambs, although this action might be mediated via the effect of OXY on NA release.
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PMID:Oxytocin, amino acid and monoamine release in the region of the medial preoptic area and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of the sheep during parturition and suckling. 154 Aug 26

1. Recently it has been shown that injection of angiotensin II into the anterior diencephalon causes the rat to drink water. In the present experiments the dipsogenic action of a number of other substances including substances related to angiotensin was tested.2. Injection of 0.001 Goldblatt u. renin into the angiotensin-sensitive region causes the water-replete rat to drink. Drinking is slower in onset and continues for longer than after injection of angiotensin II.3. Synthetic tetradecapeptide renin substrate and angiotensin I were as effective as angiotensin II at causing water-replete rats to drink.4. beta-aspartic acid(1)-valine(5)-angiotensin II was also fully effective; but the D-arginine substituted octapeptide was much less effective.5. The (2-8) heptapeptide retained about 50% of the dipsogenic activity of the octapeptide, whereas the absence of phenylalanine at the other end of the peptide chain in the (1-7) heptapeptide results in an inactive compound.6. The (3-8) hexapeptide and the (4-8) pentapeptide, both of which have phenylalanine at the end of the chain, and the (1-4) and (5-8) tetrapeptide fragments of angiotensin II showed only a slight action on intake of water.7. Kallikrein, bradykinin, adenosine-3'5-cyclic phosphate, vasopressin and oxytocin caused no drinking when injected into the angiotensin-sensitive region.8. It is concluded that the requirements for the dipsogenic activity of angiotensin are the same as those for its other biological actions with the qualification that the precursor peptides are also active, presumably because they give rise to angiotensin II locally.
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PMID:The effect on drinking of peptide precursors and of shorter chain peptide fragments of angiotensin II injected into the rat's diencephalon. 432 62

Studies were carried out on the right auricle of the right atrium of two-day-old rats placed in a special chamber perfused with Ringer-Locke solution at room temperature. The contractions rate of the auricle was counted with the use of a stereomicroscope. The following amino acids dissolved in Ringer-Locke solution were tested: glycine, glutamic acid, serine, alanine, aspartic acid, gamma aminobutyric acid, leucine, and peptides: vasopressin and oxytocin. Glutamic acid in a concentration of 10(-1) mol/l induced a decrease in auricle contraction rate by 25%. Alanine in concentration 10(-2) mol/l induced a decrease by 22%. Leucine in concentration 10(-2) mol/l induced a decrease by 16% and in concentration ten times higher a decrease by 28%. The other tested amino acids, vasopressin and oxytocin in concentration used had no influence on the rate of contraction frequency of the isolated auricle.
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PMID:The influence of amino acids, vasopressin and oxytocin on spontaneous contraction of the right auricle of the right atrium of two-day-old rats in vitro. 654 86

Two human neurophysins have been purified from acetone-desiccated posterior pituitaries by acidic extraction, molecular sieving, and ion-exchange chromatography. The complete amino acid sequence of each protein has been determined by using a sequencer and characterizing two sets of overlapping enzymic peptides. The two neurophysins belong to two structural families previously defined as MSEL- and VLDV-neurophysins according to the nature of the residues in positions 2, 3, 6, and 7. (MSEL-neurophysins contain methionine-2, serine-3, glutamic acid-6, and leucine-7; VLDV-neurophysins contain valine-2, leucine-3, aspartic acid-6, and valine-7.) Human MSEL-neurophysin has only 93 residues instead of 95 usually found in MSEL-neurophysins from other mammalian species, probably because of a deletion of amino acids 91 and 92. Compared with bovine MSEL-neurophysin, nine variations (seven substitutions and two deletions) are observed. Human VLDV-neurophysin has 93 residues, as do the other mammalian VLDV-neurophysins. There are 11 substitutions when the comparison is made with bovine VLDV-neurophysin. Between the two human neurophysins, there are 26 variations. However, the central parts of the proteins (residues 10-70) are nearly identical. Furthermore, in this region identical substitutions are found in positions 29 and 60 of both neurophysins, suggesting either a single exon or some relationship between the two corresponding genes.
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PMID:Identification of human neurophysins: complete amino acid sequences of MSEL- and VLDV-neurophysins. 657 52

In order to shed some light on the neurotransmitters in the spinothalamic tract (STT), we examined, biochemically and immunohistochemically, the contents of various neurotransmitter candidates in the terminal field of the STT after cervical hemi-chordotomy (HC) and dorsal quadrant-chordotomy (dQC) in the rat. Substance P (SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), enkephalin, neuropeptide Y, neurotensin, oxytocin and dynorphin A were analyzed immunohistochemically. The contents of neuropeptides (SP, CGRP and cholecystokinin octapeptide) were measured by radioimmunoassay and those of amino acids (aspartic acid, glutamic acid, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine) and noradrenaline were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Cervical hemi-chordotomy, but not dQC, caused significant decreases of the SP-like immunoreactivity in and SP content of the ventral thalamus on the ipsilateral side, compared with that on the contralateral side and of rats subjected to sham-operation. However, neither HC nor dQC resulted in any changes in the ventral thalamic contents of other putative neurotransmitters examined. These results suggest that, in rats, the STT contains SP and that SP-positive fibers run in the ventral half of the ascending spinal tract at the cervical level.
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PMID:Substance P is a possible neurotransmitter in the rat spinothalamic tract. 753 53

Oxytocin (OT) release within the brain is thought to play a major role in inducing maternal behaviour in a number of mammalian species but little is known about the sites of release which are important in this respect. We have investigated whether the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) is a site of OT action on maternal behaviour in the sheep. In vivo microdialysis and retrodialysis was used to determine whether OT is released in the region of the PVN during the post-partum induction of maternal behaviour and if its release at this site can stimulate maternal behaviour in non-pregnant animals. In vivo sampling showed that OT concentrations increased significantly in the region of PVN at birth. When OT was retrodialysed bilaterally into the PVN (1 or 10 microM) of multiparous ewes treated with progesterone and oestradiol to stimulate lactation, maternal behaviour was induced in a significant number of animals (1 microM, 6/8 and 10 microM, 5/8) compared with controls (0/8 ewes). Similar infusions of the ring structure of OT, tocinoic acid (TOC-10 microM), also induced maternal behaviour in a significant proportion of animals (5/6 ewes) as did intracerebroventricular (ICV) OT (6/8 ewes) and artificial stimulation of the vagina and cervix (VCS, 8/9 ewes). On the other hand, vasopressin (AVP) 1 microM did not induce maternal behaviour in any ewes and a 10 microM dose only induced it in 2/8 animals. The neurochemical changes accompanying the above treatments were also investigated. Noradrenaline concentrations increased in the PVN after the retrodialysis administration of OT 1 microM and 10 microM, TOC 10 microM and AVP 1 microM, OT ICV and VCS. Dopamine concentrations were also increased by OT 10 microM, TOC 10 microM, AVP 1microM and OT ICV. Aspartate and glutamate concentrations were significantly reduced by retrodialysis infusions of OT 1 microM and AVP 1 and 10 microM but not by any other treatment. Finally, the retrodialysis infusion of OT and TOC, as well as ICV OT, significantly increased plasma OT release whereas AVP infusions did not. These results provide evidence that OT is released in the PVN during parturition and is important for the induction of maternal behaviour. It seems probable that OT release at this site has a positive feedback effect on both parvocellular and magnocellular OT neurons to facilitate co-ordinated OT release both in central OT terminal regions (to facilitate maternal behaviour) and peripherally into the blood (to facilitate uterine contractions/milk let down). The potential functional roles for the actions of OT on monoamine and amino acid transmitter release in the PVN are discussed.
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PMID:The role of oxytocin release in the paraventricular nucleus in the control of maternal behaviour in the sheep. 873 Jun 50

The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular changes associated with the transition of the human oxytocin receptor from its inactive to its active states. Mutation of the conserved arginine of the glutamate/aspartate-arginine-tyrosine motif located in the second intracellular domain gave rise to the first known constitutively active oxytocin receptor (R137A), whereas mutation of the aspartic acid located in the second transmembrane domain led to an inactive receptor (D85A). The structural features of the constitutively active and inactive receptor mutants were compared with those of the wild type in its free and agonist-bound states. The results suggest that, although differently triggered, the activation process induced by the agonist and the activating mutation are characterized by the opening of a solvent exposed site formed by the 2nd intracellular loop, the cytosolic extension of helix 5, and the 3rd intracellular loop; on the contrary, the D85A mutation prevents oxytocin from triggering the opening of a cytosolic site. On the basis of these findings, we hypothesize that this cytosolic crevice plays an important role in G protein recognition. Finally, comparative analysis of the free- and agonist-bound forms of the wild-type oxytocin receptor and alpha1B adrenergic receptor suggests that the highly conserved polar amino acids and the seven helices play similar mechanistic roles in the different G protein-coupled receptors.
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PMID:Activation mechanism of human oxytocin receptor: a combined study of experimental and computer-simulated mutagenesis. 1038 3

In chickens, oviposition is correlated with increased plasma levels of the neurohypophysial hormone vasotocin, and vasotocin stimulates contraction of uterine strips in vitro. A gene encoding a vasotocin receptor subtype that we have designated the VT1 receptor was cloned from the domestic chicken. The open reading frame encodes a 370-amino acid polypeptide that displays seven segments of hydrophobic amino acids, typical of guanine nucleotide-protein-coupled receptors. Other structural features of the VT1 receptor include two potential N-linked glycosylation sites in the extracellular N-terminal region, a conserved aspartic acid in transmembrane domain 2 that is found in nearly all guanine nucleotide-protein-coupled receptors, and two potential protein kinase C phosphorylation sites in the third intracellular loop and C-terminal tail. Expressed VT1 receptors in COS7 cells bind neurohypophysial hormones with the following rank order of potency: vasotocin congruent with vasopressin > oxytocin congruent with mesotocin > isotocin. In addition, the expressed VT1 receptor mediates vasotocin-induced phosphatidylinositol turnover and Ca(2+) mobilization. In the chicken, expression of VT1 receptor gene transcripts is limited to the shell gland (uterus) and the brain. Thus, the VT1 receptor that we have cloned may mediate contractions of the shell gland during oviposition and activate reproductive behaviors known to be stimulated by vasotocin in lower vertebrates.
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PMID:Molecular cloning and functional characterization of a vasotocin receptor subtype that is expressed in the shell gland and brain of the domestic chicken. 1061 Oct 61

This study was designed to examine the mechanism of heart rate (HR) responses elicited by the stimulation of hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Experiments were done in urethane-anesthetized, barodenervated, adult, male Wistar rats. Chemical stimulation of the PVN by unilateral microinjections of N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) elicited increases in HR which were attenuated by bilateral vagotomy. PVN-induced tachycardia was also attenuated by the blockade of the spinal ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGLURs) which was accomplished by intrathecal injections at T9-T10 or direct application at T1-T4 of iGLUR antagonists. The blockade of spinal iGLURs combined with bilateral vagotomy completely blocked PVN-induced tachycardia. Blockade of GABA receptors in the medial nucleus tractus solitarius (mNTS) also attenuated the PVN-induced tachycardia. Complete blockade of PVN-induced tachycardia was also observed after the blockade of iGLURs in both the spinal cord and mNTS. Combination of the blockade of mNTS GABA receptors and spinal iGLURs also abolished PVN-induced tachycardia. PVN-induced tachycardia was not altered by the blockade of spinal vasopressin or oxytocin receptors at T1-T4. These results suggested that in barodenervated rats: 1) tachycardia elicited by the chemical stimulation of the PVN was mediated via both inhibition of vagal and activation of sympathetic outflows to the heart, 2) the vagal inhibition contributing to the PVN-induced tachycardia was mediated by the iGLURs and GABARs in the mNTS, 3) sympathetic activation contributing to the PVN-induced tachycardia was mediated via spinal iGLURs, and 4) spinal vasopressin and oxytocin receptors were not involved in the mediation of PVN-induced tachycardia.
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PMID:Mechanism of heart rate responses elicited by chemical stimulation of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus in the rat. 1902 29


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