Localization of arginine vasopressin-neurophysin II messenger ribonucleic acid in the hypothalamus of control and Brattleboro rats by hybridization histochemistry with a synthetic pentadecamer oligonucleotide probe.

By using 32P-labeled oligonucleotide probes for in situ DNA-RNA hybridization, we have defined the distribution of messenger RNA (MRNA) for arginine vasopressin-neurophysin II (AVP-NPII) in the rat hypothalamus. With a specific pentadecamer nucleotide probe, strong specific hybridization is seen in supraoptic, suprachiasmatic, and paraventricular nuclei in both Sprague-Dawley and Brattleboro rats. This finding, of equivalent distribution of AVP-NPII mRNA in Brattleboro and control hypothalami, confirms and extends the recent report of equivalent levels of AVP-NPII mRNA by Northern blot analysis.