Isolation and localization of neurophysin-like proteins in rat uterus.

Neurophysins are part of the prohormones for vasopressin and oxytocin, and are localized with these hormones in the magnocellular cells of the neurohypophysis. New techniques have identified neurophysins in other areas within and outside the central nervous system, and we report here the isolation of neurophysins from the uterus of the rat. Using immunohistology the neurophysin immunoreactivity was localized to the epithelial lining cells of the uterus, and using radioimmunoassay was also present in uterine fluid suggesting secretion into the uterine cavity. The amount of uterine neurophysin increased in response to administered estrogen and was especially elevated in the pregnant uterus. The neurophysin-like material isolated from the uterus was similar to neurophysins from the neurohypophysis by radioimmunoassay, molecular sieve chromatography, isoelectric focusing and SDS gel electrophoresis. Both neurohypophyseal hormones, vasopressin and oxytocin, were also extracted from uterine endothelium and identified by radioimmunoassay and high pressure liquid chromatography.