Distribution of neurophysins in rat brain: radioimmunological measurement and characterization.

Rat neurophysins were isolated from posterior pituitaries and antibodies raised in rabbits. Individual sensitive and specific radioimmunoassays for the neurophysins associated with either vasopressin or oxytocin were developed and employed for measuring the neurophysins in various regions of rat brain. Neurophysin-like immunoreactivity was detected in hypothalamus, septum, amygdala, brainstem and spinal cord. Characterization by high performance liquid chromatography suggested the identity with the neurophysins contained in the posterior pituitary. The distribution of these peptides in the brain points to a possible role in central nervous system processes.