Bathgate R A, Sernia C, Gemmell R T
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia.
Gen Comp Endocrinol. 1992 Nov;88(2):217-23. doi: 10.1016/0016-6480(92)90253-g.
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) has been identified and quantified in the brain and plasma of the possum using a highly specific radioimmunoassay and high-performance liquid chromatography. Large amounts of AVP were found in the pituitary (16.3 +/- 0.56 micrograms/pituitary, n = 5) and hypothalamus (398 +/- 82.5 ng/hypothalamus), and significant amounts of AVP were also present in the cerebral cortex (26.8 +/- 11.5 ng/cortex). Plasma AVP concentrations were significantly lower (2.2 +/- 0.45 pg/ml, n = 10) during anesthesia compared to concentrations while conscious (4.5 +/- 1.19 pg/ml). Severe hemorrhage markedly increased plasma concentrations to 1091 +/- 225 pg/ml (n = 8). It was concluded that AVP is present in the possum brain, pituitary, and plasma, and that its secretion is stimulated by hypovolemia and inhibited by surgical stress.
