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)

Galanin (GAL) is a 29-amino acid peptide that is present in the hypothalamic magnocellular neurons of the rat supraoptic nucleus (SON) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Since previous studies revealed a possible role of GAL in the hydro-osmotic regulation, we have investigated the effects of GAL on the vasopressin (AVP) mRNA content in the hypothalamic magnocellular neurons. We demonstrated by in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry that 100 pmol of GAL or GAL fragment (1-16) injected into the lateral ventricle of anesthetized dehydrated male rats induced a rapid (10 min time interval) decrease of AVP mRNA and AVP content in the magnocellular cell bodies of SON and PVN. These effects were quantified on an autoradiographic film and were also obvious at the cellular level by using ISH with a radiolabeled or digoxigenin-labeled oligonucleotide probe. Oxytocin mRNA content is not altered by the same injection either in dehydrated male or lactating female rats. Under the same conditions of lactation, AVP mRNA content is not modified and the i.c.v. injection of GAL has no effect. GAL antagonist (M15) injection suppressed the GAL-induced decrease of AVP mRNA in the dehydrated rats and increased AVP mRNA level in control rats. The efficacy of M15 in antagonizing GAL effects on AVP mRNA suggests the involvement of GAL receptors in the regulation of the vasopressinergic cell bodies. Moreover, endogenous GAL seems to depress the AVP mRNA content of SON and PVN in vivo. The possible origin of endogenous GAL and the mechanisms by which GAL can regulate the AVP mRNA content are also discussed.
 ...
PMID:Short-term effects of centrally administered galanin on the hyperosmotically stimulated expression of vasopressin in the rat hypothalamus. An in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry study. 754 Feb 63

Neuronal peptides exert neurohormonal and neurotransmitter (neuromodulator) functions in the central nervous system (CNS). Besides these functions, a group of neuropeptides may have a capacity to create cell proliferation, growth, and survival. Axotomy induces transient (1-21 d) upregulation of synthesis and gene expression of neuropeptides, such as galanin, corticotropin releasing factor, dynorphin, calcitonin gene-related peptide, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, cholecystokinin, angiotensin II, and neuropeptide Y. These neuropeptides are colocalized with "classic" neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, aspartate, glutamate) or neurohormones (vasopressin, oxytocin) that are downregulated by axotomy in the same neuronal cells. It is more likely that neuronal cells, in response to axotomy, increase expression of neuropeptides that promote their survival and regeneration, and may downregulate substances related to their transmitter or secretory activities.
 ...
PMID:Neuropeptide messenger plasticity in the CNS neurons following axotomy. 757 12

Although oligonucleotide probes are useful for in situ hybridization, their low sensitivity compared to riboprobes and cDNA remains a problem. We have systematically examined the protocols to provide a general procedure that increases the sensitivity of oligoprobes for light and electron in situ hybridizations by using mixtures of multiple non-overlapping oligonucleotides (multi-oligoprobes). The protocol achieves these improvements with both radioactive and non-radioactive oligoprobes. With 33P-labeled probes in a semiquantitative assay, we found that mixtures of up to six vasopressin-directed multi-oligoprobes, each employed at saturating concentration, led to an additive signal with no significant increase of the background. Using this approach with non-radioactive oligoprobes, we were able to detect in the hypothalamus several low or moderately abundant mRNAs, such as vasopressin heterogeneous nuclear RNA and the galanin, dynorphin, and tyrosine hydroxylase mRNAs. Moreover, we showed that multi-oligoprobes used in a pre-embedding procedure were suitable for studying the ultrastructural compartmentalization of moderately abundant mRNAs. Finally, with the same basic approach we demonstrated that two sets of multi-oligoprobes can be combined for simultaneous detection of two different mRNAs using fluorescent dyes, making this approach suitable for high-resolution confocal analyses. Overall, our data demonstrate that multi-oligoprobes provide a sensitive tool of choice for various applications in which both well-preserved morphology and high sensitivity are needed. In particular, these probes appear ideal for study of the comparative subcellular localization of mRNAs at both the light and the electron microscopic level.
 ...
PMID:Enhanced sensitivity for light and electron microscopic in situ hybridization with multiple simultaneous non-radioactive oligodeoxynucleotide probes. 762 44

The regulation of galanin (GAL) gene expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) by testosterone (T) was investigated using in situ hybridization histochemistry. Castration of adult male rats significantly reduced both the number of cells which expressed GAL mRNA and the average number of grains per cell. These effects were reversed by testosterone treatment. Testosterone stimulates GAL gene expression in the same neurons that have previously been shown to exhibit steroid regulation of vasopressin gene expression.
 ...
PMID:Testosterone regulates galanin gene expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. 768 6

Galanin (GAL), a 29 amino acid peptide, is present in magnocellular neurones in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei with projections to the neurohypophysis. The effect of GAL on the release of vasopressin, oxytocin and cholecystokinin (CCK) from rat neural lobes was investigated using an in vitro method. GAL in a concentration of 10(-6) M did not affect basal or K(+)-induced release of vasopressin or oxytocin. In contrast, GAL (10(-6) M) significantly stimulated basal and K(+)-stimulated release of CCK. Double-labelling immunofluorescence histochemistry of the neurohypophysis showed that GAL-immunoreactive (-IR) fibres co-contained vasopressin-like immunoreactivity (-LI), whereas the majority of oxytocin-IR fibres were CCK-IR. There was no evidence for colocalization of GAL with CCK or oxytocin. The data suggest a stimulatory role of GAL on CCK release via a paracrine effect on neighbouring oxytocin-CCK-containing nerve fibres.
 ...
PMID:Galanin stimulates the release of cholecystokinin from nerve fibres in the pituitary neurointermediate lobe. 768 86

The topographical distribution of neuropeptide-containing cell bodies, fibers and terminals was studied in the premamillary region of the rat hypothalamus using light microscopic immunohistochemistry. Alternate coronal sections through the posterior third of the hypothalamus of normal and colchicine-treated male rats were immunostained for 19 different neuropeptides and their distributions were mapped throughout the following structures: the ventral and dorsal premamillary, the supramamillary, the tuberomamillary and the posterior hypothalamic nuclei, as well as the premamillary portion of the arcuate nucleus and the postinfundibular median eminence. Seventeen of the investigated neuropeptides were present in neuronal perikarya, nerve fibers and terminals while the gonadotropin associated peptide and vasopressin occurred only in fibers and terminals. Growth hormone-releasing hormone-, somatostatin-, alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone-, adrenocorticotropin-, beta-endorphin- and neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive neurons were seen exclusively in the premamillary portion of the arcuate nucleus. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone-, dynorphin A- and galanin-containing neurons were distributed mainly in the arcuate and the tuberomamillary nuclei. A high number of methionine- and leucine-enkephalin-immunoreactive cells were detected in the arcuate and dorsal premamillary nuclei, as well as in the area ventrolateral to the fornix. Substance P-immunoreactive perikarya were present in very high number within the entire region, in particular in the ventral and dorsal premamillary nuclei. Cell bodies labelled with cholecystokinin- and calcitonin gene-related peptide antisera were found predominantly in the supramamillary and the terete nuclei, respectively. Corticotropin-releasing hormone-, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide- and neurotensin-immunoreactive neurons were scattered randomly in low number, mostly in the arcuate and the ventral and dorsal premamillary nuclei. Peptidergic fibers were distributed unevenly throughout the whole region, with each peptide showing an individual distribution pattern. The highest density of immunoreactive fibers was presented in the ventral half of the region including the arcuate, the ventral premamillary and the tuberomamillary nuclei. The supramamillary nucleus showed moderately dense fiber networks, while the dorsal premamillary and the posterior hypothalamic nuclei were poor in peptidergic fibers.
 ...
PMID:Immunohistochemical mapping of neuropeptides in the premamillary region of the hypothalamus in rats. 779 57

In neurons, which are post-mitotic cells, a structural and biochemical plasticity occurs, namely for the mediators. The magnocellular hypothalamic neurons innervating the neural lobe are a favourable model for the study of the dynamic aspects of neuropeptides expression. In fact, they synthetize these peptides in large amounts, as a function of the physiological or experimental conditions. In addition to the major neuropeptides, oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) which are contained in control rats within different neuronal populations, immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization used alone or in combination in the same preparations have revealed other neuropeptides and corresponding mRNAs respectively. These multiple labellings demonstrate that after osmotic stimulation or during lactation some neurons are able to synthetize OT and VP simultaneously, together with galanin and even tyrosine hydroxylase (but not catecholamines). Similarly, hypophysectomy or transection of the pituitary stalk differentially modify the contents in mRNA coding for VP, OT and galanin. These results have also been described in other neuronal types such as spinal ganglia sensory neurons, suggesting possible mechanisms at different levels of genetic expression: transcription, translation, post-translational events and possibly interneuronal exchanges of mRNA. The in vivo regulation of this neurochemical plasticity probably involves the innervation of these neurons and perhaps the colocalized peptides themselves. In fact, galanin selectively inhibits the expression of VP but not that of OT. Functional implications of the neuronal phenotypic plasticity in the adaptation of the nervous system to the changing physiological conditions are discussed, together with its possible implications in pathology and therapeutics.
 ...
PMID:[A model of phenotypic plasticity: the hypothalamo-posthypophyseal neurons]. 783 3

This study tested for the presence of androgen receptor-immunoreactivity in somatostatin, galanin, vasopressin, corticotropin-releasing hormone, and oxytocin neurons in the rat forebrain. The brains of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde. Androgen receptor was visualized in coronal sections using nickel intensification of diaminobenzidine, and the neuropeptides were identified using a brown diaminobenzidine reaction product. Androgen receptor was localized to the nuclei of neurons in the septum, amygdala, cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. The majority of somatostatin-containing neurons in the periventricular hypothalamic nucleus also contained androgen receptor. Androgen receptor was also found within galanin-expressing cells in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and in the amygdala. Androgen receptor was not observed in corticotropin-releasing hormone, vasopressin, or oxytocin neurons in all areas examined. The data suggest that androgens may be capable of directly regulating somatostatin-expressing neurons of the periventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and galanin-containing neurons of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and amygdala.
 ...
PMID:Localization of androgen receptor within peptidergic neurons of the rat forebrain. 785 Apr 90

Because of the enormous growth over the last three decades of research on the role of peptides in the brain, the need became apparent to determine the status of these compounds in terms of their current research interest. Since 1965, over a quarter of a million research papers have been published on peptides that have since been classified as neuroactive. The present study was undertaken to analyze systematically the yearly trends of research emphasis in neuroactive peptides as reflected by their individual frequency of publication by year, beginning in 1966. A computer analysis of the publication characteristics was carried out using the Medline data base in which the citation search was limited to the topic brain crossed with the topic mammal. One criterion for the inclusion of a given peptide in the analysis was a frequency of 25 or more citations following its discovery, as related to the mammalian brain. The 42 peptides that met this criterion were: adrenocorticotropic hormone, angiotensin II, atrial natriuretic factor, bombesin, bradykinin, calcitonin, calcitonin gene-related peptide, carnosine, beta-casomorphin, cholecystokinin, corticotropin-releasing factor, delta sleep-inducing peptide, dynorphin, beta-endorphin, Leu-enkephalin, Met-enkephalin, galanin, gastrin, glucagon, growth hormone, growth hormone-releasing factor, insulin, kyotorphin, beta-lipotropin, luteinizing hormone-releasing factor, melanocyte-stimulating hormone release inhibitory factor-1, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, motilin, neurokinin A, neurokinin B, neuropeptide Y, neurotensin, oxytocin, pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide, peptide HI, prolactin, secretin, somatostatin, substance P, thyroid-releasing hormone, vasopressin, and vasoactive intestinal peptide. An overall analysis of the 298,105 papers published on these 42 peptides since 1965 revealed that the research activity of 24,742, or 8.30%, of the studies, focused on their neuroactive properties. Taken as a whole, the research on neuroactive peptides reached a peak in 1986, as reflected by the total of 1793 papers published during that year. Although the level of publication has fluctuated between 1548 and 1774 research papers over the last 6 years, it is now clear that the trend in research on neuroactive peptides has reached an asymptote today that shows no sign of deviation. A temporal analysis year by year of individual publication profiles revealed three distinct trends: 1) peptides showed a slow development in research interest and did not exceed more than 15-30 publications per year; 2) peptides exhibited a steady increase in research activity over the years that continues today; and 3) peptides displayed an initial, often intense, research emphasis that inexplicably declined, in some cases precipitously, in the mid 1980s.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
 ...
PMID:Neuroactive peptides: unique phases in research on mammalian brain over three decades. 800 41

Single- and double-immunohistochemical staining methods were used to assay the effect of estrogen on the expression of co-existing peptides in the magnocellular neurosecretory system of the female rat. It was confirmed in colchicine-treated, ovariectomized animals that immunoreactive corticotropin-releasing factor and cholecystokinin co-exist in subsets of oxytocinergic neurons; in addition, dynorphin immunoreactivity was detected in a substantial majority of oxytocin containing magnocellular neurons. Consistent with previous studies, magnocellular vasopressinergic cells were found to display angiotensin II-, dynorphin- and galanin-immunoreactivities. Comparable results occurred in colchicine-treated ovariectomized rats independent of whether or not the animals received replacement injections of estradiol benzoate or vehicle. Ovariectomized rats that were not pretreated with colchicine showed enhanced staining (increased cell number and staining intensity of both cell bodies and terminals in the posterior pituitary) for each of the peptides that was found to co-exist in vasopressinergic neurons after treatment with estradiol; staining for vasopressin was similar in steroid- and oil-treated animals. Perikaryal staining for peptides co-localized with oxytocin was not discernibly different in estradiol- vs vehicle-treated animals, while in the posterior lobe, differential effects of hormone replacement on oxytocin, cholecystokinin, and corticotropin-releasing factor immunostaining of terminals were apparent. Perikaryal staining for co-existing peptides in gonadally intact animals killed at the estrus or the diestrus II phases of the estrous cycle provided a pattern of results compatible with those seen in ovariectomized animals treated with estradiol or oil, respectively. These observations suggest that circulating gonadal steroids affect co-existing peptide expression differentially in oxytocinergic vs vasopressinergic neurons. All peptides examined that could be co-localized in vasopressinergic cells showed evidence of enhanced expression in the presence of estrogen, while at least two of these co-localized with oxytocin appeared driven in the opposite direction. The results in normally cycling rats indicate that this kind of influence may be manifest under normal physiological conditions.
 ...
PMID:Neuropeptide co-expression in the magnocellular neurosecretory system of the female rat: evidence for differential modulation by estrogen. 834 19


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>