Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P01185 (vasopressin)
 23,126 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Recognition that chronologic age is not per se a cause of dementia opens the way for a more active approach to Alzheimer-type dementias as a specific disease syndrome. "Alzheimerism" in many respects is to the cholinergic brain system what Parkinsonism is to the dopamineragic. Whether cell loss or choline acetyltransferase deficiency comes first is still unclear, as is the role of vasopressin. There is a real possibility that research might produce a palliative for ACh-based defects similar to the action of L-dopa in dopaminergic defects.
 ...
PMID:Alzheimer's disease or "Alzheimerism"? 4 21

Anatomical and pharmacological evidence suggests a role for substance P (SP) in the control of vasopressin secretion, but the origins of SP-immunoreactive (IR) projections to the paraventricular (PVH) and supraoptic (SO) nuclei of the hypothalamus have not yet been identified. Combined axonal transport, immunohistochemical, and ablation approaches were used to characterize the organization of SP-IR projections to the PVH. The results may be summarized as follows: (1) SP-IR projections are broadly and prominently distributed throughout the SO and both the magnocellular and parvicellular divisions of the PVH. The distribution within the PVH is quite uniform. (2) Combined retrograde transport-immunohistochemical analyses identified multiple potential sources of SP-IR inputs to the PVH. These included a number of hypothalamic cell groups, the laterodorsal and peduculopontine tegmental nuclei, and the rostral and caudal aspects of the ventrolateral medulla. Portions of the tegmental and medullary SP-IR neurons that were retrogradely labelled following tracer deposits in the PVH also stained positively for choline acetyltransferase or tyrosine hydroxylase, respectively. (3) To evaluate the distribution and prominence of medullary SP-IR projections to the PVH and SO, staining for SP and catecholamine-synthesizing enzymes was carried out in animals that had previously received knife cuts at the level of the pontomedullary border. Pronounced, and roughly parallel decrements in staining for peptide and amines were seen in the magnocellular division of the PVH and in the SO; less marked reductions in SP-IR varicosities are in a position to influence multiple visceral regulatory cell types in the PVH and SO. Inputs to the magnocellular neurosecretory system arise in large measure from medullary neurons in which SP coexists with catecholamines. SP-IR projections to the parvicellular division of the PVH appear to originate from a number of sources.
 ...
PMID:Distribution and origins of substance P-immunoreactive projections to the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei: partial overlap with ascending catecholaminergic projections. 170 81

Age-related decreases have been reported in both vasopressinergic and cholinergic innervation in the rat brain. Since both systems are also sensitive to sex steroids, the effect of testosterone supplementation on vasopressin (AVP) levels and on choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity was investigated in the brains of young, middle-aged and aged male rats. Although no age-related changes in AVP levels were observed in the lateral septum or the medial amygdala (MA), peripheral testosterone administration raised AVP levels in the MA in all age groups. ChAT activity decreased with age in the medial preoptic area and was not restored by testosterone.
 ...
PMID:Testosterone locally increases vasopressin content but fails to restore choline acetyltransferase activity in other regions in the senescent male rat brain. 235 28

An immunocytochemical analysis with 33 antisera was undertaken to investigate the localization of 25 different neurotransmitter-related antigens in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus in the rat. To obtain estimates of relative densities of immunoreactive axons a stereological approach was used involving counting of intersections of immunoreactive axons with a superimposed semi-circle test grid. All neurotransmitter-related antigens found in perikarya within the suprachiasmatic nucleus, including those stained with antisera against bombesin, gastrin-releasing peptide, neurophysin, vasopressin, somatostatin, gamma-aminobutyrate, glutamate decarboxylase and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide were also found in axons within the nucleus. A greater number of these immunoreactive axons was found within the nucleus than in the adjacent anterior hypothalamus. The size of all immunoreactive axons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus was consistently small; immunoreactive axons were found ramifying widely in the nucleus, often ending with terminal boutons near perikarya immunoreactive for the same antigen. All neurotransmitter-related substances found in perikarya of the suprachiasmatic nucleus were also found in axons crossing over the midline to innervate the contralateral nucleus, providing an anatomical substrate for a high degree of communication between the paired nuclei. Axons immunoreactive for other putative transmitters including serotonin arising outside the nucleus were also found in high densities within the nucleus and crossing over the midline between the nuclei. Immunoreactivity for some transmitters was found in axons of similar densities within and outside the nucleus, including antisera against tyrosine hydroxylase; a small number of dopamine beta-hydroxylase and a few phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase-immunoreactive axons were found in the SCN, suggesting that dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine may occur in a limited number of axons in the nucleus. Small numbers of axons immunoreactive with antisera raised against cholecystokinin, prolactin, substance P, thyrotropin-releasing hormone and choline acetyltransferase were found within the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Axons immunoreactive for luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone and neurotensin were rarely found within the suprachiasmatic nucleus; axons immunoreactive for luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, cholecystokinin and tyrosine hydroxylase were found in both horizontal and coronal sections in the area between the left and right suprachiasmatic nuclei.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
 ...
PMID:Neurotransmitters of the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus: immunocytochemical analysis of 25 neuronal antigens. 241 88

The laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (ntdl) contains a cluster of cells located just medial to the locus coeruleus in the pontine brainstem. The ntdl has been shown to project both rostrally to the forebrain and diencephalon and caudally to the spinal cord. In an effort to characterize this region neurochemically, the present study was conducted to identify a variety of neurochemicals localized within perikarya and fibers of the ntdl and surrounding nuclei. Rats were perfused with formalin, and brain sections were processed for fluorescence immunocytochemistry and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Of the neurochemicals screened, atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), cholecystokinin (CCK), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), dynorphin B (Dyn B), galanin, somatostatin, substance P, neurotensin (NT), neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasopressin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), serotonin (5HT), glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) were studied. AChE and ChAT staining revealed that the ntdl contains mostly cholinergic neurons. In addition, brightly reactive substance P and galanin and paler staining CRF, ANF, CGRP, NT, VIP, and Dyn B cell bodies were found within the ntdl. Varicose fibers in this nucleus also contained these peptides in addition to CCK, GAD, TH, 5HT, and NPY. The dorsal tegmental nucleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, locus coeruleus, and the parabrachial region contained a dense and varied assortment of peptides with distinct positions and patterns. This multiplicity of neurochemicals within this area suggests a possible influence on a variety of functions modulated by the ntdl and other closely associated tegmental nuclei.
 ...
PMID:Immunocytochemical localization of peptides and other neurochemicals in the rat laterodorsal tegmental nucleus and adjacent area. 289 81

Rats were given bilateral injections of colchicine into the area of the nucleus basalis. Colchicine produced dose-dependent alterations in the acquisition of a food-reinforced working-memory task. Colchicine-induced deficits in maze performance were attenuated by cholinergic agents, including physostigmine, RS-86 (2-ethyl-8-methyl-2,8-diazospiro-(4,5)-decan-1,3-dione-hydro bromide) and nicotine. Naloxone and vasopressin did not affect radial-arm maze performance of colchicine-treated rats. Subsequent neurochemical analysis showed that colchicine decreased choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and levels of norepinephrine, dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in the neocortex. However, ChAT activity and other neurochemical measures were not altered in the hippocampus or corpus striatum. Histological assessment indicated damage limited to the injection in the area of the nucleus basalis and enlarged cerebrolateral ventricles. These data suggest the possible utility of the colchicine model in the study of cognitive deficits associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
 ...
PMID:Radial-arm maze deficits produced by colchicine administered into the area of the nucleus basalis are ameliorated by cholinergic agents. 334 52

Changes in the activity of neurotransmitters in dementia were studied by measuring the activities of each of choline acetyltransferase (CAT), dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and hydroxylase cofactor (tetrahydrobiopterine; BPH4), and the concentrations of homovanillic acid (HVA) and vasopressin. CAT activity was low in the cerebral cortex of patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer's type (SDAT). The CAT activity was high in the nucleus basalis, which correlated well with the CAT activity in the cerebral cortex, Brodmann areas 22 and 17. DBH activity was lower in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of SDAT and multi-infarct dementia (MID) patients than in that of control subjects. No age-related change was observed in control subjects. Serum DBH activity was decreased in patients with SDAT but not in patients with MID. DBH activity was especially low in the serum of SDAT patients with a low dementia rating score and/or severe brain atrophy shown on computed tomography (CT) scan. Serum DBH activity was also decreased in older normal subjects (greater than or equal to 80 years). The concentration of HVA in the CSF of control subjects decreased with the advance of age, but the decrease in HVA concentration was more pronounced in the CSF of SDAT patients, which would reflect the lowered dopaminergic activity in SDAT. BPH4 activity was also decreased in the CSF of SDAT patients. Arginine-vasopressin was widely demonstrated in the cerebral cortex of control subjects but could not be detected in many areas of the cerebral cortices of demented patients. These results suggest that a deficit of dopamine, noradrenaline or vasopressin as well as acetylcholine may occur in the brain of SDAT patients. The evidence presented points toward areas for consideration in the search for methods of therapy or prevention of SDAT.
 ...
PMID:Neurotransmitters in dementia. 615 97

Many of the neurochemical changes associated with aging brain, particularly lower choline acetyltransferase and higher monoamine oxidase, occur with greater severity in senile dementia, Alzheimer's type (SDAT). These alterations correlate with neuropathologic indices, e.g., the number of senile plaques and tangles. Although many different treatment techniques have been used, most have been unsuccessful. No strong data have supported the use of stimulants, Gerovital H3, or hyperbaric oxygen. Among the vasodilators, cyclandelate and hydergine may be of value in some but not most patients. Much recent work has focused on techniques to increase acetylcholine brain concentrations. To date, precursors, such as choline, seem to have very limited value. Postsynaptic treatments, e.g., physostigmine, hold more hope for future benefit, if longer acting oral preparations are developed. Other compounds, such as ACTH, vasopressin, and piracetam, may have some value but need better definition and treatment indications. Recent discoveries on the influences of lecithin on membrane fluidity and receptor binding, may affect the focus of future pharmacologic investigation.
 ...
PMID:Chemotherapy of cognitive disorders in geriatric subjects. 632 57

Recent electrophysiological experiments have suggested that electrical stimulation of an area dorsolateral to the rat supraoptic nucleus (SON) activates a cholinergic pathway to the vasopressin neurons of the SON. As no detailed information is available concerning the distribution and projections of the cholinergic neurons in this area, we have sought to provide this using a combination of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunocytochemistry and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemistry. In some cases, these techniques were applied to the same neurons. Almost all neurons just outside of the SON that showed ChAT-like immunoreactivity also stained densely for AChE. These cells were distributed in a region dorsolateral to the SON. Light, punctate AChE staining around SON neurons was observed predominantly in the more ventral and posterior parts of the nucleus and were suggestive of synaptic terminals. Cholinergic fibres were found to enter the SON mainly from a lateral direction, turning in an anterior or posterior direction inside the nucleus. These results support the conclusion of earlier studies that the major cholinergic input to the SON arises in its immediate vicinity. We hypothesize that these ChAT/AChE-positive neurons are those responsible for cholinergically mediated, osmotically-stimulated release of vasopressin.
 ...
PMID:Mapping of cholinergic neurons associated with rat supraoptic nucleus: combined immunocytochemical and histochemical identification. 636 54

We hypothesized that there may be a significant difference in the neuronal composition of the baroreceptor reflex pathway between normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive SHR rats. Using the double-immunoreactive (IR) method, the topology and numbers of barosensitive neurons that contain glutamate (Glu), glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) were compared between the two strains. The control rats were sham-operated only for cannulation of the trachea and femoral artery/vein. The test rats were injected with the pressor agent phenylephrine to raise blood pressure and stimulate arterial baroreceptors. In both the control and test experiments, the c-Fos/Glu-, GAD-, TH- and PNMT-IR neurons were found in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and ventrolateral medulla (VLM), while the FosB/ChAT-IR neurons were found in the NTS, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMX) and nucleus ambiguus (AMB). In the control experiment, no significant difference in numbers was recognized in any of the double-IR neurons between the two strains. In the test experiment, the numbers of FosB/ChAT-IR neurons in the NTS, DMX and AMB were significantly smaller in SHR than in WKY. The numbers of c-Fos/TH-IR neurons in the caudal VLM were significantly larger in SHR than in WKY. These results suggest that a smaller number of barosensitive cholinergic neurons in the DMX and AMB in SHR causes the weaker baroreceptor-cardiac vagal reflex in SHR, and that a larger number of barosensitive catecholaminergic neurons in the caudal VLM in SHR are involved in the stronger baroreceptor-vasopressin reflex in SHR.
 ...
PMID:Difference in topology and numbers of barosensitive catecholaminergic and cholinergic neurons in the medulla between SHR and WKY rats. 970 62


1 2 Next >>