Electrophysiological analysis of potential arginine vasopressin projections to the ventral septal area of the rat.

Extracellular electrophysiological studies of neurons in the ventral septal region of the rat have examined afferent input from the paraventricular nucleus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and suprachiasmatic nucleus. Short latency excitatory or inhibitory orthodromic potentials were obtained following electrical stimulation of each nucleus, thereby providing evidence for these areas as a possible source of arginine vasopressin (AVP) fibers to the ventral septal region. These projections may mediate the reported antipyretic action of arginine vasopressin in the ventral septal region.