Jurzak M, Schmid H A
Max-Planck-Institut für Physiologische und Klinische Forschung, W. G. Kerckhoff-Institut, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
Prog Brain Res. 1998;119:221-45. doi: 10.1016/s0079-6123(08)61572-1.
The subfornical organ, the area postrema and the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis are considered to be sensory circumventricular organs as they contain neuronal somata which are located outside the blood-brain barrier and are thus capable of serving as 'sensors' for blood-borne humoral messengers. The endocrine hormone, vasopressin (VP), not only causes strong antidiuresis by acting on the kidney, but also exerts centrally mediated effects as a neuromodulator. Several lines of evidence suggest that VP can influence regulatory functions mediated by the sensory circumventricular organs, since vasopressinergic somata and terminals as well as VP receptors have been reposted to be present in these structures. These biochemical prerequisites offer the possibility that blood-borne VP might on the one hand act as a feedback signal from the periphery and, on the other hand, synaptically released or locally produced VP could modulate the known functions of sensory circumventricular organs, such as thirst, fever or cardiovascular regulation. This review focuses on the possible physiological relevance of VP acting on sensory circumventricular organs in view of recent evidence obtained from biochemical and electrophysiological studies at the cellular level.
穹窿下器、最后区和终板血管器被认为是感觉性室周器官，因为它们含有位于血脑屏障之外的神经元胞体，因此能够作为血源体液信使的“传感器”。内分泌激素血管加压素（VP）不仅通过作用于肾脏引起强烈的抗利尿作用，还作为一种神经调质发挥中枢介导的作用。几条证据表明，VP可以影响由感觉性室周器官介导的调节功能，因为在这些结构中已经发现了血管加压素能胞体和终末以及VP受体。这些生化前提条件使得血源VP一方面有可能作为来自外周的反馈信号，另一方面，突触释放或局部产生的VP可以调节感觉性室周器官的已知功能，如口渴、发热或心血管调节。鉴于最近在细胞水平上从生化和电生理研究中获得的证据，本综述重点关注VP作用于感觉性室周器官的可能生理相关性。
