Some mechanisms of action of vasopressin on animal behavior.

The effect of arginine vasopressin on the behavior of rats after its microinjection into the caudal ventrolateral region of the brain stem and corticomedial amygdala was investigated. In the region of the brain stem vasopressin has a predominant inhibitory effect of motor activity and orienting behavior evoked by electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus. In the region of the corticomedial amygdala under the effect of the peptide an alternation of motor inactivation with orienting reflexes, grooming, and genital genital grooming is observed. In this case an increase of the spontaneous frequency of neuronal impulses occurs in the investigated regions of the brain.