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

Transverse sections of the median eminence from fetal and neonatal rats were examined by the immunoperoxidase technique to detect the presence of oxytocin, vasopressin and neurophysin. Neurophysin was observed in the 18-day fetus. Vasopressin and oxytocin were not detected until after birth, on the 4th and 8th days respectively. There was an accumulation of material crossreactive with neurophysin and vasopressin antibodies in the palisade layer of the median eminence between the 4th and 9th days after birth. This distribution of immunoreactive material in the palisade layer was suggestive of neurosecretory substances localized in two fibre tracts on either side of the median eminence. The data are consistent with the accumulation of corticotropin releasing factor and an associated neurophysin in this area. It is suggested that the accumulation of material occurs because of the relative immaturity of the capillary loops that constitute the primary plexus of the hypophysial portal system.
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PMID:Maturation of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system. II. Neurophysin, vasopressin and oxytocin in the median eminence of the developing rat brain. 31 38

A microperfusion system was developed to study detailed kinetics of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion by dispersed rat anterior pituitary cells responding to various ACTH secretagogues. The system approaches hydrodynamics to square-wave stimuli and enables kinetic analysis of ACTH secretion with intervals as short as 5 sec. ACTH secretion initiated within 5 sec of exposure of the cells to corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), arginine vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OT) or angiotensin II (A-II) and reached a maximum within 20-40 sec. CRF induced a plateau-shaped secretion of ACTH which remained constant as long as CRF was perifused. In contrast, the ACTH secretion responding to AVP, OT and A-II rose rapidly to a peak and fell to the baseline despite continued perifusion of these agents. There were two components of ACTH secretory response to AVP and OT. AVP had synergistic effect with CRF only if it was perifused simultaneously with CRF or immediately after CRF was stopped. The ACTH secretory response to A-II was greatly diminished when cells were exposed to AVP or OT before A-II perifusion. Prior exposure to A-II had no effect on the magnitude of the ACTH secretory response to either AVP or OT. Epinephrine, nor-epinephrine, gastrin-releasing peptide, atrial natriuretic factor and cholecystokinin stimulated no significant ACTH secretion in the microperfusion system, although some of them induced ACTH secretion by same cell preparation in static culture systems.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[Physiological analyses of secretory kinetics of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from anterior pituitary cells: development and application of a microperfusion system]. 131 80

The hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal tract is known to contain the classical neurohypophyseal hormones vasopressin and oxytocin. Additionally, dynorphin, methionine- and leucine-enkephalin, cholecystokinin (CCK), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), and galanin are co-stored with vasopressin and/or oxytocin. Recent immunohistochemical studies have revealed the existence of a low to moderate number of substance P-, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-, neuropeptide Y (NPY)- and somatostatin-immunoreactive nerve fibers within the rat neurohypophysis. VIP-, substance P- and NPY-immunoreactive fibers were distributed throughout the organ, whereas somatostatin-immunoreactive fibers were present in the proximal part of the organ. The positive nerve endings were either large in size resembling classical nerve terminals related to perivascular spaces, or smaller similar to peptidergic fibers as described in the CNS. These results indicate that these neuropeptides may be either co-stored with the classical neurohypophyseal hormones or contained in another system of afferents to the organ. The probably distinct functional roles of these neuropeptides in the physiology of the neurohypophysis are discussed.
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PMID:Non-vasopressinergic, non-oxytocinergic neuropeptides in the rat hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal tract: experimental immunohistochemical studies. 138 83

Hybridization histochemistry has bridged molecular biology and neuroanatomy to provide nearly dynamic views of gene expression in the brain--perhaps especially in the hypothalamus. These snapshots of transcript levels with precise anatomical localization have revealed new insights into gene regulation in the hypothalamus under specific conditions. Magnocellular neurons in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei produce vasopressin and oxytocin. Transcript levels for these hormones are affected by hyperosmolality, as are those for many other neuropeptides. Patterns of gene expression in the magnocellular neurons in these nuclei during development and under different physiological conditions have been studied less extensively. The parvocellular neurons of the paraventricular nucleus produce corticotropin-releasing factor and thyrotropin-releasing hormone. Expression of the corticotropin-releasing factor gene is regulated by glucocorticoids. Physiological stresses, which activate the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, also affect gene expression in the parvocellular paraventricular nucleus. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone is synthesized in a different set of parvocellular neurons in the paraventricular nucleus and in other neurons of the hypothalamus. Expression of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone gene is regulated by thyroid hormone. The suprachiasmatic nucleus contains neurons that produce vasopressin or vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in a circadian rhythm. Future studies using combinations of classical neuroanatomical techniques, hybridization histochemistry and immunohistochemistry will further our understanding of hypothalamic responses to various stimuli.
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PMID:Regulation of gene expression in the hypothalamus: hybridization histochemical studies. 142 21

In addition to their characterizing secretory products, both magnocellular and parvocellular neurosecretory neurons are now known to express other neuroactive substances. Parvocellular neurons that make corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) for example are capable of synthesizing at least seven neuropeptides. Some of these, like arginine vasopressin (AVP), interact with CRF at the level of the anterior pituitary to promote corticotropin secretion, and, like CRF, are regulated negatively by glucocorticoids and positively by at least some stressors. others are inert in these two contexts but are responsive to various challenges. Magnocellular neurosecretory oxytocin- and AVP-containing neurons are capable of producing similarly broad and distinctive complements of neuroactive principles. These are typically expressed at levels far lower than those of the nonapeptides, suggesting local modulatory effects on oxytocin and/or AVP secretion at the level of the posterior lobe. Differential regulation of coexisting molecules within magnocellular neurons by systemic challenges and steroid hormones has also been described. Secretory products of magnocellular neurons may gain access to the anterior pituitary via exocytotic release at the level of the median eminence or through vascular links between the posterior and anterior lobes, suggesting another form of 'co-localization' by which the two neurosecretory cell types may interact in the control of stress and perhaps other pituitary-mediated responses.
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PMID:Co-localization of neuroactive substances in the endocrine hypothalamus. 142 23

The effects of postmortem delay on neuropeptide-containing perikarya was studied in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the rat hypothalamus. Serial sections from brains kept in the skull after death for 6 h and immunocytochemically processed for oxytocin (OT), vasopressin (AVP) and corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) or hybridized in situ for CRF resulted in the well preserved phenotypic expression and stability of mRNA of the aforementioned neuropeptides. Furthermore in most cases, AVP and CRF expression was discernibly enhanced relative to prefixed immunopositive tissue. Results of this study suggest that postmortem variables do not significantly alter the neurochemical coding of magnocellular or parvocellular neurosecretory systems, and support the view that rat and human brain topography can be investigated from tissue left in situ after death for a relatively long period of time.
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PMID:Immunocytochemical and in situ hybridization detection of hypothalamic neuropeptides from postmortem unfixed rat brains. 147 56

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) has been reported to be expressed in oxytocin-containing magnocellular neurosecretory neurons of the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei, and in Barrington's nucleus, a pontine micturition center. Each of these cell groups is known to play a role in fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. To gain a better understanding of the role of CRF in this context, the effects of osmotic stimulation and volume loading on CRF mRNA levels in the PVN, SON and Barrington's nucleus were examined using in situ hybridization histochemistry with an 35S-labeled cRNA probe. Adult male rats received either normal tap water (control), or hypertonic (2%) saline (HS) for up to 3 days. In a second experiment, normal saline was infused through a jugular vein cannula at 6 ml/h for 3 days; control rats were cannulated but received no infusion. Relative levels of CRF mRNA were compared by estimating both the number of positively hybridized cells and the density of silver grains in emulsion-dipped autoradiograms. HS treatment resulted in marked increases in CRF mRNA in the magnocellular neurosecretory system. All recognized oxytocinergic cell clusters, i.e., the anterior, medial and posterior magnocellural subdivisions of the PVN, the dorsal aspect of the SON, and components of the accessory magnocellular system, displayed this effect. By contrast, HS treatment resulted in significant decreases in CRF mRNA levels in the parvocellular (hypophysiotropic) division of the PVN and in Barrington's nucleus. By contrast, volume loading, which failed to affect plasma osmolality, significantly increased CRF mRNA levels in Barrington's nucleus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Regulation of corticotropin-releasing factor mRNA in neuroendocrine and autonomic neurons by osmotic stimulation and volume loading. 148 95

In the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the rat hypothalamus, we determined synaptic associations between oxytocin (OXT)-containing magnocellular neurons and parvocellular neurons containing corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) by using a double immunolabeling technique in 7 animals. In single vibratome sections of the hypothalamus, immunoreactive CRF and OXT were labeled with silver-gold particles and diaminobenzidine (DAB) chromogen, respectively. By light microscopy CRF-containing fibers appeared to be black dots, some of which encircled magnocellular perikarya labeled with brown DAB chromogen in the PVN. By electron microscopy we discriminated OXT neurons having fine DAB-chromogen particles distributed throughout the cytoplasm and on large secretory granules from CRF neurons having dense coarse particles of silver-gold. Occasional CRF axons terminated on perikarya or dendritic processes of OXT neurons, making synaptic contacts. The terminals which were characterized by having clusters of small clear vesicles and a few dense core vesicles showed equal thickenings of pre- and postsynaptic membranes at the synaptic junctions.
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PMID:Synaptic associations between oxytocin-containing magnocellular neurons and neurons containing corticotropin-releasing factor in the rat magnocellular paraventricular nucleus. 151 23

Indirect immunofluorescence histochemistry was used to investigate the distribution and extent of co-localization of chemical messengers in magnocellular neurons of the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei. In order to increase the number of neurons immunoreactive to the antisera used, experimental manipulations were employed. The homozygous Brattleboro (diabetes insipidus) rat was also investigated. In untreated rats, only vasopressin- and oxytocin-like immunoreactivities could be observed. Colchicine treatment alone resulted in appearance of galanin-, dynorphin-, cholecystokinin-, [Leu]enkephalin- and thyrotropin-releasing hormone-positive cells. In hypophysectomized rats, all these markers, except tyrosine hydroxylase, showed substantial further increases. In addition, peptide histidine-isoleucine-immunoreactive cell bodies could now be seen. After salt-loading alone, tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity was markedly increased, whereas vasopressin- and oxytocin-like immunoreactivity were very weak or undetectable. When salt-loaded rats received colchicine, corticotropin-releasing factor- and peptide histidine-isoleucine-like immunoreactivity in addition increased, whereas galanin- and dynorphin-like immunoreactivity markedly decreased. The Brattleboro rats resembled untreated rats, except their lack of vasopressin-like immunoreactivity, the marked increase in tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity, and smaller increase in galanin- and dynorphin-like immunoreactivity. Addition of colchicine to Brattleboro rats resulted in some distinct further changes in that dynorphin-like immunoreactivity decreased in some neurons and that [Leu]enkephalin-, corticotropin-releasing factor- and peptide histidine-isoleucine-like immunoreactivity increased substantially. Several similarities could be observed between the salt-loaded and Brattleboro rats, with or without colchicine. However, a marked difference in immunoreactive [Leu]enkephalin levels was observed with no difference in dynorphin-like immunoreactivity, and opposite changes in galanin-like immunoreactivity. The results confirm the traditional view that hypothalamic magnocellular neurons in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei contain two separate cell populations, characterized by vasopressin and oxytocin, respectively, and that they contain additional messenger molecules in specific patterns. Vasopressin-containing neurons primarily express tyrosine hydroxylase, galanin, dynorphin, [Leu]enkephalin and peptide histidine-isoleucine, and to a minor extent cholecystokinin and thyrotropin-releasing hormone. Oxytocin-containing neurons mainly have cholecystokinin and corticotropin-releasing factor, and to a minor extent galanin, dynorphin, [Leu]enkephalin and thyrotropin-releasing hormone. Furthermore, our results detail individual co-existence situations among these putative messenger molecules. Thus, magnocellular neurons respond in a differential way to various stimuli and they store multiple bioactive substances in specific combinations.
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PMID:Localization of chemical messengers in magnocellular neurons of the hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei: an immunohistochemical study using experimental manipulations. 170 Oct 38

Changes in the structure and function of five neuropeptide families during evolution are considered. The families of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), growth hormone-releasing hormone (GH-RH), somatostatin (SS), and vasopressin/oxytocin (VP/Oxy) are used as models to illustrate the importance of a phylogenetic approach in understanding neuropeptide structure/activity relationships, precursors, processing, gene duplication, novel locations and functions, and gene-associated peptides.
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PMID:Neuropeptide families: an evolutionary perspective. 197 5


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