The active role of dendrites in the regulation of magnocellular neurosecretory cell behavior.

The interactions of the dendritically released neuropeptides vasopressin and oxytocin with co-released neuroactive substances such as opioids and nitric oxide are reviewed. Endogenous opioids regulate magnocellular neurons at the level of the supraoptic nucleus and the relationship of dendritically released peptides and co-released opioids seems to be dependent on the stimulus given and the physiological state of the animal. Nitric oxide has a prominent inhibitory action on supraoptic neurons and these actions are predominantly mediated indirectly by GABA inputs. The role of these co-released neuroactive substances in differentially regulated release of neuropeptides from dendrites versus distant axon terminals has to be determined in more detail. A picture emerges in which release of vasopressin and oxytocin from different anatomical compartments of a single neuron may arise from different intracellular secretory pools and their preparation before release.