Hypotensive hemorrhage elevates corticotropin-releasing hormone messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) but not vasopressin mRNA in the rat hypothalamus.

We examined the effect of acute hypotensive hemorrhage on corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in neurons of the rat hypothalamus. Sprague-Dawley male rats were cannulated (femoral artery and vein) and received a 15 ml/kg.3 min hemorrhage on the morning of the fourth day. Time controls received no hemorrhage. After light halothane anesthesia, the rats were decapitated at 1 or 4 h (six to nine rats per group). The hypothalami were removed, frozen, and sectioned at 12 microns. In situ hybridization was performed using two 48-base oligodeoxynucleotide probes for CRH and AVP message, respectively. Hemorrhage led to a fall in arterial blood pressure and heart rate that recovered by 1 h. Plasma ACTH, corticosterone, and AVP were elevated 20, 60, and 90 min after hemorrhage, but returned to near control levels by 4 h. CRH mRNA was significantly elevated 1 and 4 h after hemorrhage, as compared to time controls, in parvocellular neurons of the paraventricular nuclei. However, AVP mRNA was not different from controls at 1 or 4 h after hemorrhage in the magnocellular or parvocellular paraventricular nuclei, or in the supraoptic or accessory nuclei of the hypothalamus. AVP mRNA was also found in neurons of the suprachiasmatic nuclei, but there was no difference in the amount of mRNA between the 1-h hemorrhage and control groups. These data suggest that neural signals, originating for cardiovascular receptors activated by hemorrhage, up-regulate message for CRH but not for AVP in the paraventricular nuclei of the rat hypothalamus.