Oxytocin unlike vasopressin is a stress hormone in the rat

Mechanisms involved in the pressor response to noradrenaline injection into the cingulate cortex of unanesthetized rats

The cingulate cortex (CC) is involved in cardiovascular modulation. CC electrical or chemical stimulation may evoke either pressor or depressor responses, depending on the stimulated site and experimental conditions such as anesthesia. Noradrenaline (NA) is involved in cardiovascular regulation and it is present throughout the cortex. However, there is no report on the cardiovascular effects of intracortical injections of NA. We attempted to verify the effect of NA injection into the CC and to identify possible receptor and peripheral mechanisms involved. NA injection caused pressor responses accompanied by bradycardia, in unanesthetized rats. These responses were markedly reduced under urethane anesthesia. The pressor response was blocked by intracortical pretreatment with phenoxybenzamine or the selective alpha(1)-antagonist WB4101, and it was not affected by pretreatment with the selective alpha(2)-antagonist RX821002, suggesting that alpha(1)-adrenoceptors mediate the response. The pressor response was potentiated by pretreatment with the ganglion blocker mecamylamine and it was abolished by pretreatment with the vasopressin antagonist, dTyr(CH(2)) (5)(Me)AVP or by hypophysectomy. Circulating vasopressin levels were increased after NA injection into the CC. The present results indicate that the pressor response to local injection of NA within the CC is independent of sympathetic nerve activation and is mediated by vasopressin release.

Angiotensin II-induced release of oxytocin: interaction with norepinephrine and role in lactation

These studies examined the receptors involved in angiotensin II (Ang II) stimulated secretion of systemic oxytocin (OT) and the role of this peptide in release of OT during suckling. Plasma OT concentrations were measured following intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of vehicle, Ang II, or Ang II following pretreatment with a selective AT1 (Losartan) or AT2 (PD 123319) receptor antagonist. Furthermore, we measured Ang II-induced OT release during central alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade (phentolamine). Finally, plasma OT concentrations before and during suckling were evaluated following central administration of Ang II receptor antagonists. The increase in systemic OT following central Ang II was abolished by AT1 receptor blockade and inhibited by the AT2 receptor antagonist. Furthermore, pretreatment with phentolamine significantly diminished systemic OT release in response to icv Ang II. Finally, central Ang II receptor blockade did not alter the increase in circulating OT during suckling. These data demonstrate that Ang II evoked OT release is mediated through activation of both AT1 and AT2 receptors and suggest that a component of Ang II-induced OT stimulation is due to norepinephrine release. Furthermore, central angiotensin systems do not have a direct role in stimulating OT release during suckling.

Involvement of the brain oxytocin system in stress coping: interactions with the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis

In response to various ethologically relevant stressors, oxytocin is released not only from neurohypophysial terminals into the blood, but also within distinct brain regions, for example the hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei, the septum and the amygdala in dependence on the quality and intensity of the stressor. Thus, oxytocin secretory activity may accompany the response of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to a given stressor. In the present chapter, I try to summarize our efforts to reveal the physiological significance of intracerebrally released oxytocin in rats with respect to the regulation of the HPA axis under basal and stress conditions as well as with respect to behavioural stress responses. The effects of oxytocin appear to depend on the brain region studied and the state of activity of the animal (basal versus stress). In order to reveal interactions between the oxytocin system and the HPA axis, preliminary results are presented pointing towards a differential action of glucocorticoids on intracerebral and peripheral oxytocin release.

Vasopressin from hypothalamic magnocellular neurons has opposite actions at the adenohypophysis and in the supraoptic nucleus on ACTH secretion

Magnocellular vasopressinergic and oxytocinergic neurons of the hypothalamic supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular nuclei comprise the hypothalamic-neurohypophysial system, which is crucially involved in the regulation of body fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. However, still controversial is to what extent the same system influences the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the adenohypophysis. Therefore, we selectively stimulated magnocellular neurons of the SON of conscious male Wistar rats via retrodialysis. As expected, dialysis of the SON with hypertonic medium increased both the release of vasopressin within the SON and the secretion of vasopressin and oxytocin into the systemic blood circulation. This activation of the hypothalamic-neurohypophysial system was accompanied by a fivefold increase in plasma ACTH concentration. This effect was observed only if the tip of the microdialysis probe was within the SON. Intravenous infusion of the vasopressin V1 receptor antagonist d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP significantly attenuated the effects of local osmotic stimulation of the SON on ACTH secretion. In contrast, administration of the same antagonist directly into the SON significantly enhanced the osmotically stimulated secretion of ACTH and corticosterone, primarily by delaying the restoration of the hormone secretion to prestimulation levels. We conclude from these findings that vasopressin from the hypothalamic-neurohypophysial system participates in the regulation of the hormonal stress response in a counterbalanced manner at the level of the SON and the adenohypophysis.

The effect of endotoxin administration on the secretory dynamics of oxytocin in follicular phase mares: relationship to stress axis hormones

The primary aim of this study was to define the secretory dynamics of oxytocin and vasopressin in pituitary venous effluent from ambulatory horses during acute endotoxaemia, a stimulus that may release both hormones. Our secondary aim was to investigate the role of oxytocin in regulating adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion by comparing oxytocin, vasopressin, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and ACTH secretory profiles during endotoxaemia and by monitoring the ACTH response to oxytocin administration. Pituitary venous blood was collected nonsurgically continuously and divided into 1-min segments from eight follicular phase mares. Four mares were sampled for 30 min before and 3.5 h after receiving an i.v. infusion of bacterial endotoxin (TOX). Four control mares were sampled for 2.5 h without infusion of TOX. Another three follicular phase mares were given 5 U of oxytocin to replicate the peak response to TOX and pituitary blood collected every 1 min for 10 min before and 15 min after injection. Endotoxin raised the secretion rates of all hormones measured. All hormones were released episodically throughout the experiment, with TOX increasing the amplitude of peaks in each hormone. Peaks in oxytocin and vasopressin were coincident in each treated mare. Similarly, ACTH peaks were coincident with peaks of oxytocin and vasopressin in each treated mare, and with peaks of CRH in three mares. However, oxytocin administration did not affect ACTH secretion. We conclude that during endotoxaemia in horses: (i) oxytocin and vasopressin are secreted synchronously; (ii) oxytocin is unlikely to be acting as an ACTH secretagogue since inducing peak oxytocin concentrations observed during TOX does not raise ACTH; and therefore (iii) the close relationship between oxytocin and ACTH secretion is circumstantial and due to the fact that oxytocin secretion is concurrent with that of vasopressin, a proven ACTH secretagogue in horses.

Oxytocin mediates stress-induced analgesia in adult mice

As a neurohormone and as a neurotransmitter, oxytocin has been implicated in the stress response. Descending oxytocin-containing fibres project to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, an area important for processing nociceptive inputs. Here we tested the hypothesis that oxytocin plays a role in stress-induced analgesia and modulates spinal sensory transmission. Mice lacking oxytocin exhibited significantly reduced stress-induced antinociception following both cold-swim (10 degrees C, 3 min) and restraint stress (30 min). In contrast, the mice exhibited normal behavioural responses to thermal and mechanical noxious stimuli and morphine-induced antinociception. In wild-type mice, intrathecal injection of the oxytocin antagonist dOVT (200 microM in 5 microl) significantly attenuated antinociception induced by cold-swim. Immunocytochemical staining revealed that, in the mouse, oxytocin-containing neurones in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus are activated by stress. Furthermore, oxytocin-containing fibres were present in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. To test whether descending oxytocin-containing fibres could alter nociceptive transmission, we performed intracellular recordings of dorsal horn neurones in spinal slices from adult mice. Bath application of oxytocin (1 and 10 microM) inhibited excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) evoked by dorsal root stimulation. This effect was reversed by the oxytocin antagonist dOVT (1 microM). Whole-cell recordings of dorsal horn neurones in postnatal rat slices revealed that the effect of oxytocin could be blocked by the addition of GTP-gamma-S to the recording pipette, suggesting activation of postsynaptic oxytocin receptors. We conclude that oxytocin is important for both cold-swim and restraint stress-induced antinociception, acting by inhibiting glutamatergic spinal sensory transmission.

Increased hypothalamic expression of prolactin in lactation: involvement in behavioural and neuroendocrine stress responses

Prolactin (PRL) has recently been shown to exert an anxiolytic effect in male and virgin female rats, as well as an inhibitory tone on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Reduced emotional and neuroendocrine stress responses have been described in lactation, a time of high blood PRL levels. Here we tested brain PRL-receptor (PRL-R)-mediated effects on anxiety, maternal behaviour, HPA axis and oxytocin stress responses in lactating rats. Chronic intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of antisense oligonucleotides against the long form of the PRL-R (AS; osmotic minipump, 0.5 microg/0.5 microL/h) in order to downregulate brain PRL-R expression increased the anxiety-related behaviour on the elevated plus maze (P < 0.01) compared with mixed bases- and vehicle-treated rats. Also, PRL-R AS treatment impaired maternal behaviour (P < 0.05), whereas physiological parameters of lactation (weight gain of the litter, number of milk ejection reflexes during a 20-min suckling period) were not affected. PRL-R AS treatment further evoked an increase (P < 0.05) in the stress-induced adrenocorticotropin release, demonstrating an inhibitory role of PRL on HPA axis responses in lactation. Inhibition of stress responses of the oxytocin system by brain PRL was evidenced by higher stress-induced (P < 0.05) plasma oxytocin concentration in PRL-R AS-treated lactating rats and, in contrast, decreased stress-induced oxytocin release (P < 0.01) in chronic i.c.v. ovine PRL-treated (1 microg/0.5 microL/h) virgin rats. Finally, an increased expression of the hypothalamic PRL gene was seen by RT-PCR in pregnancy and lactation, suggesting an activated state of the brain PRL system during the peripartum period. In summary, activation of the brain PRL system in the peripartum period significantly contributes to emotional and neuroendocrine adaptations, including downregulation of the responsiveness of the HPA axis and oxytocin systems to stressors seen at this time.

Endogenous opioid regulation of oxytocin and ACTH secretion during pregnancy and parturition

Progress of parturition in the rat is optimal when there is increased oxytocin secretion, thus ensuring quick birth and otherwise risking adverse neonatal health. To ensure that the mechanisms for this are available, oxytocin neurons adapt in pregnancy and this includes development of a tonic inhibition by endogenous opioids. Endogenous opioid inhibition of oxytocin secretion increases in pregnancy, initially acting on the nerve terminals in the posterior pituitary and later on oxytocin cell bodies and their inputs. This inhibition enhances stores of oxytocin and enables restraint of oxytocin neuron responsiveness to selected excitatory inputs. The hypothalamic neurons which mediate stress also adapt in late pregnancy so that hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis and oxytocin secretory responses to stressor exposure are attenuated. This is also partly due to endogenous opioid inhibition. Thus, in pregnancy oxytocin and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis secretion in response to stimulation is restrained, protecting the unborn fetus(es) from premature delivery and glucocorticoid exposure and preparing the oxytocin neurons for their important secretory role during parturition. In parturition itself, endogenous opioids continue to inhibit these neurons. Stress exposure during parturition delays births, probably due to endogenous opioid inhibition of pulsatile oxytocin secretion. On the other hand, basal ACTH and corticosterone secretion are reduced in parturition through inhibition by endogenous opioids. So, opioids continue to regulate the activity of oxytocin and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal mechanisms in labor; inhibition of oxytocin neurons at this time may control the spacing of pup births.

Forced swimming stimulates the expression of vasopressin and oxytocin in magnocellular neurons of the rat hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus

Previous studies have shown that a 10-min forced swimming session triggers the release of both vasopressin and oxytocin into the extracellular fluid of the hypothalamic paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic nuclei (SON) in rats. At the same time oxytocin, but not vasopressin, was released from the axon terminals into the blood. Here we combined forced swimming with in situ hybridization to investigate whether (i) the stressor-induced release of vasopressin and oxytocin within the PVN originates from parvo- or magnocellular neurons of the nucleus, and (ii) central release with or without concomitant peripheral secretion is followed by changes in the synthesis of vasopressin and/or oxytocin. Adult male Wistar rats were killed 2, 4 or 8 h after a 10-min forced swimming session and their brains processed for in situ hybridization using 35S-labelled oligonucleotide probes. As measured on photo-emulsion-coated slides, cellular vasopressin mRNA concentration increased in magnocellular PVN neurons 2 and 4 h after swimming (P < 0.05). Similarly, oxytocin mRNA concentration was significantly increased in magnocellular neurons of the PVN at 2 and 8 h (P < 0.05). We failed to observe significant effects on vasopressin and oxytocin mRNA levels in the parvocellular PVN and in the SON. Taken together with results from previous studies, our data suggest that magnocellular neurons are the predominant source of vasopressin and oxytocin released within PVN in response to forced swimming. Furthermore, in the case of vasopressin, central release in the absence of peripheral secretion is followed by increased mRNA levels, implying a refill of depleted somato-dendritic vasopressin stores. Within the SON, however, mRNA levels are poor indicators of the secretory activity of magnocellular neurons during stress.

Distribution of preproadrenomedullin mRNA in the rat central nervous system and its modulation by physiological stressors

Adrenomedullin (ADM), encoded by the preproadrenomedullin (ppADM) gene, exerts multiple effects in a wide variety of peripheral and central tissues. Although ADM-like immunoreactivity has been shown to be widely distributed throughout the rat central nervous system (CNS), the detailed distribution of ppADM gene expression in the CNS and its modulation by physiological stimuli remain unknown. In our study, in situ hybridization was used to localize ppADM mRNA in the rat brain and to quantify its levels after exposure to different stressors including lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 100 microg/kg, iv), restraint stress (2 cycles of 1 hour restraint/1 hour rest), and 24 hours of dehydration. In addition, Fos immunoreactivity was used to identify the activation of neurons in response to LPS. Our results show that ppADM mRNA is widely distributed throughout the rat CNS, with especially high levels in autonomic centers including the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON), locus coeruleus, ventrolateral medulla, and intermediolateral cell column of the spinal cord. Furthermore, LPS inhibits ppADM gene expression in the parvocellular PVN (pPVN), magnocellular PVN (mPVN), SON, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, and area postrema among examined regions; restraint stress reduces ppADM mRNA levels in the pPVN, mPVN, SON, nucleus of the solitary tract, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, area postrema, and subfornical organ; 24 hours of water deprivation decreases ppADM gene expression only in the mPVN and SON. Taken together, our results suggest that ADM is involved in the regulation of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system, the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, and central autonomic functions.

Brain oxytocin inhibits the (re)activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in male rats: involvement of hypothalamic and limbic brain regions

In response to various stressors, oxytocin is released not only into blood, but also within hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic limbic brain regions. Here, we describe the involvement of intracerebrally released oxytocin in the regulation of the activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis by infusion of the oxytocin receptor antagonist (des Gly-NH(2) d(CH(2))(5) [Tyr(Me)(2), Thr(4)] OVT; pH 7.4; Dr. M. Manning, Toledo, OH, USA) either into the lateral cerebral ventricle (icv[0.75 microg/5 microl,]) or via retrodialysis (10 microg/ml, 3.3 microl/min, 15 min) into the hypothalamic paraventricular nuclei (PVN), the medio-lateral septum or the amygdala. Male Wistar rats fitted with a chronic jugular vein catheter and an icv guide cannula or a microdialysis probe targeting the respective brain region 4 days prior to the experiment were blood sampled under basal as well as stressful conditions. Rats were exposed to the elevated platform (emotional stressor) and/or to forced swimming (combined physical and emotional stressor). Blockade of the receptor-mediated action of endogenous oxytocin within the PVN resulted in an enhanced basal secretion of ACTH whereas, in response to forced swimming, ACTH secretion was rather reduced, indicating a tonic inhibitory effect of OXT on basal HPA axis activity, but a potentiating action under conditions of stress. Within the medio-lateral septum, antagonist treatment did not alter basal ACTH secretion, but significantly disinhibited ACTH secretion in response to the elevated platform, but not to forced swimming. Within the amygdala, no significant effects either on basal or stress-induced HPA axis activity could be found. The results indicate a differential involvement of brain oxytocin in the regulation of the HPA axis activity which depends both on the site of intracerebral oxytocin release and the stressor the animals are exposed to.

Ageing alters intrahypothalamic release patterns of vasopressin and oxytocin in rats

The ageing process has been shown to have a profound impact on the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system (HNS) and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis in humans as well as in rodents. Therefore, in this study, the intracerebral and peripheral release patterns of both vasopressin and oxytocin have been studied in aged male Wistar rats under basal conditions and in response to ethologically relevant stressors, using intracerebral microdialysis and chronic blood sampling techniques, respectively. Approximately a twofold higher basal release of arginine vasopressin (AVP) within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), but not within the supraoptic nucleus (SON), was found in aged rats, whereas basal oxytocin (OXT) release did not differ in comparison with young rats. With increasing age the rise in intra-PVN release of both AVP and OXT was blunted in response to forced swimming. In contrast, the intra-SON release of AVP was unrelated to age. Simultaneously recorded basal secretion of both AVP and OXT from the neurohypophysis into blood was increased in aged rats, with a blunted OXT response to swim stress. Opposed to that, plasma AVP levels remained unchanged in both groups. Basal plasma levels of corticotropin (ACTH) and corticosterone were elevated in aged rats, whereas stress-elicited ACTH and corticosterone responses were indistinguishable. These results indicate age-related changes in the HNS and HPA axis with an enhanced basal activity opposed to a blunted response to stressors with increasing age. The increased basal release of AVP within the PVN suggests a role of intracerebral AVP in age-associated alterations of HPA axis regulation.

Behavioural impact of intraseptally released vasopressin and oxytocin in rats

The two nonapeptides arginine vasopressin and oxytocin are not only secreted from the neurohypophysis into the general circulation but are also released intracerebrally. Our recent research has focused on the release patterns and effects of oxytocin and vasopressin in brain areas, such as the septum and hypothalamus, that are thought to be involved in the regulation of (1) behavioural responses and (2) responses of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system (HNS) to stressor exposure in rats. The results demonstrate that combined physical and emotional stress (induced by exposure to forced swimming) selectively triggers the release of vasopressin within all brain areas under study but not into the general circulation. Under emotional stress conditions (induced by exposure to the 'social defeat' procedure), however, oxytocin rather than vasopressin release increased within the hypothalamus and septum. Experiments aimed at revealing the neuroendocrine and behavioural relevance of the local nonapeptide release provided evidence for an involvement of vasopressin in the regulation of HNS activity (within the hypothalamus) and, moreover, in acute stress-coping strategies, anxiety-related behaviour and learning and memory processes (within the septum). The observed dissociation between central and peripheral nonapeptide release not only supports the hypothesis that plasma vasopressin and oxytocin concentrations do not necessarily reflect central release patterns but also suggests vasopressin and oxytocin neurones are able to independently release their nonapeptide from different parts of their neuronal surface (e.g. from somata/dendrites vs. axon terminals). This remarkable regulatory capacity provides the basis for an differential involvement of vasopressin, and probably also oxytocin, in the co-ordination of neuroendocrine activity, emotionality and cognition at different brain levels to ensure an appropriate behavioural response of the organism to stressful stimuli.

Brain oxytocin inhibits basal and stress-induced activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in male and female rats: partial action within the paraventricular nucleus

Oxytocin is a classic reproductive neuropeptide in the female mammal, but its functions in the brain of the male have been less well studied. As stress induces intracerebral oxytocin release independently of gender, we postulated that central oxytocin may play a role in the control of stress responses. In both male and virgin female rats, oxytocin receptor blockade in the brain by intracerebral infusion of a selective oxytocin antagonist (des Gly-NH2 d(CH2)5 [Tyr(Me)2, Thr4] OVT; 0.75 microgram/5 microliter increased the activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis as indicated by a significantly enhanced basal and stress-induced (exposure to the elevated plus-maze, forced swimming) secretion of corticotropin (ACTH) and corticosterone into blood. The anxiety-related behaviour on the plus-maze was not altered by the antagonist in either males or females. Infusion of the oxytocin antagonist into the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus by reversed microdialysis resulted in a significant increase in basal release of ACTH in both male and virgin female rats. These results demonstrate a novel, gender-independent physiological function of endogenous brain oxytocin in the regulation of neuroendocrine stress responses. Under basal conditions, the inhibition of the HPA axis occurs, at least in part, within the paraventricular nucleus.

Emotional stress triggers intrahypothalamic but not peripheral release of oxytocin in male rats

Previous experiments have shown that an exposure to defined stressors activates not only the 'classical' endocrine stress response but also the intrahypothalamic and peripheral release of oxytocin. In the present study we investigated the effects of an acute social defeat experience on the release of oxytocin within the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus, just outside of the supraoptic nucleus toward the midline within the anterior ventro-lateral part of the hypothalamus, and into plasma of adult male rats. Our results demonstrate that emotional stress triggers the release of oxytocin into the extracellular fluid of both the supraoptic nucleus and the anterior ventro-lateral part of the hypothalamus (up to approximately 320% and 170%, respectively). Interestingly, oxytocin release within the latter brain area, which is likely to originate from axons forming the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial tract, was higher in absolute terms than that within the supraoptic nucleus itself, both under basal conditions and in response to social defeat. In contrast to intrahypothalamic release patterns, plasma oxytocin levels remained virtually unchanged upon stressor exposure. This demonstrates that the release of oxytocin within the hypothalamus is triggered by emotional stress. Furthermore, it indicates that under physiological conditions the release of oxytocin from the dendrites and somata upon axon terminals in the neurohypophysis is differentially regulated. Although not yet studied in detail, it may be hypothesized that the spatial and temporal release pattern of oxytocin is controlled by integrative neuronal networks at different brain levels (including hypothalamus and posterior pituitary) to ensure the appropriate involvement of this peptide in the stress response of the animal.

Neuroendocrine responses to an emotional stressor: evidence for involvement of the medial but not the central amygdala

The amygdala plays a pivotal role in the generation of appropriate responses to emotional stimuli. In the case of emotional stressors, these responses include activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This effect is generally held to depend upon the central nucleus of the amygdala, but recent evidence suggests a role for the medial nucleus. In the present study, c-fos expression, amygdala lesion and retrograde tracing experiments were performed on adult rats in order to re-evaluate the role of the central as opposed to the medial amygdala in generating neuroendocrine responses to an emotional stressor. Brief restraint (15 min) was used as a representative emotional stressor and was found to elicit c-fos expression much more strongly in the medial than central nucleus of the amygdala; relatively few Fos-positive cells were seen in other amygdala nuclei. Subsequent experiments showed that ibotenic acid lesions of the medial amygdala, but not the central amygdala, greatly reduced restraint-induced activation of cells of the medial paraventricular nucleus, the site of the tuberoinfundibular corticotropin-releasing factor cells that constitute the apex of the HPA axis. Medial amygdala lesions also reduced the activation of supraoptic and paraventricular nucleus oxytocinergic neurosecretory cells that commonly accompanies stress-induced HPA axis activation in rodents. To assess whether the role of the medial amygdala in the control of neuroendocrine cell responses to emotional stress might involve a direct projection to such cells, retrograde tracing of amygdala projections to the paraventricular nucleus was performed in combination with Fos immunolabelling. This showed that although some medial amygdala cells activated by exposure to an emotional stressor project directly to the paraventricular nucleus, the number is very small. These findings provide the first direct evidence that it is the medial rather than the central amygdala that is critical to hypothalamic neuroendocrine cell responses during an emotional response, and also provide the first evidence that the amygdala governs oxytocin as well as HPA axis responses to an emotional stressor.

Expression of alpha1D adrenergic receptor messenger RNA in oxytocin- and corticotropin-releasing hormone-synthesizing neurons in the rat paraventricular nucleus

The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus contains a number of intermingled populations of neuroendocrine cell groups involved in the hormonal stress response, including cells synthesizing corticotropin-releasing hormone and oxytocin. Ascending noradrenergic afferents to the paraventricular nucleus, acting through alpha1 adrenergic receptors, are thought to play a role in stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. We have previously demonstrated that, of the three known alpha1 adrenergic receptor subtypes, messenger RNA for the alpha1D subtype is the most prominently expressed in the paraventricular nucleus. Thus, regulation of the expression of this receptor may be important in modulation of the stress response. It is currently unknown, however, which populations of stress-related neuroendocrine cells in the paraventricular nucleus express alpha1 receptors, or whether the excitatory influence of norepinephrine in stress is exerted directly on neurons expressing oxytocin or corticotropin-releasing hormone. Thus, in the present study, we used dual in situ hybridization, combining a digoxigenin-labeled riboprobe encoding the rat alpha1D adrenergic receptor with radiolabeled riboprobes for oxytocin or corticotropin-releasing hormone, to determine the degree to which these neurons in the paraventricular nucleus express alpha1D adrenergic receptors. In sections through the rostral and mid-level paraventricular nucleus, nearly all (>95%) oxytocin neurons also expressed alpha1D messenger RNA. In contrast, the populations of corticotropin-releasing hormone- and alpha1D-expressing cells overlapped only partially, with most alpha1D expression situated more laterally. A subset (37%) of the neurons expressing corticotropin-releasing hormone also expressed alpha1D messenger RNA, and these were found almost entirely within the region of overlap in the lateral aspect of the medial parvocellular region. These observations support a direct role for alpha1 receptors in regulation of oxytocin secretion. Expression of alpha1D messenger RNA in distinct subsets of cells synthesizing corticotropin-releasing hormone may also help to clarify contradictory and inconsistent observations in the literature regarding the role of norepinephrine in the stress response, and may account for a presumed stressor-specific role for norepinephrine in activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

The effect of relaxation therapy on preterm labor outcomes

OBJECTIVE

To examine the effect of relaxation on preterm labor outcome.

DESIGN

Quasi-experimental, with women who experienced preterm labor randomly assigned to a control or experimental group. The experimental group was to do a daily relaxation exercise. A third group was added to the study: women who were originally assigned to the relaxation group but were unable to adhere to the daily practice. Final data were analyzed for three groups: control (n = 40), experimental (n = 44), and nonadherent (n = 23) participants.

SETTING

Women were referred to the study from physician offices and a hospital-based obstetric triage clinic in the Northwest.

PARTICIPANTS

Total sample was comprised of 107 women with singleton gestations, documented contractions with cervical change, and intact membranes.

INTERVENTIONS

The experimental group was instructed in a progressive relaxation exercise. The participants were given tapes of the exercise and instructed to do it daily.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Study outcomes included gestational age at birth, rate of pregnancy prolongation, and birth weight.

RESULTS

The outcome variables were analyzed using analysis of covariance, with the preterm labor risk score entered as a covariate to compensate statistically for group differences. A positive response to the relaxation intervention was found: The experimental group had significantly longer gestations and larger newborns when compared to the control and nonadherent groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Relaxation therapy made a difference in preterm labor outcome. Women who practiced relaxation had larger newborns, longer gestations, and higher rates of pregnancy prolongation. Given the low cost of the intervention, it should be offered to all women at risk for preterm labor.

Release of vasopressin within the brain contributes to neuroendocrine and behavioral regulation

In addition to its peripheral secretion from the neurohypophysis, the neuropeptide vasopressin (VP) is released within the mammalian brain from probably all parts of the neuronal membrane. In particular the development of brain microdialysis in vivo together with blood microdialysis or blood sampling provides the advantage of being able to reliably compare the dynamic release patterns into different compartments of the organism. The central VP release within hypothalamic (e.g., supraoptic, paraventricular and suprachiasmatic nuclei) and limbic (e.g., septum, amygdala) rat brain areas is stimulated by a variety of substances and stressors, including interleukin-1 beta, social defeat and forced swimming. Furthermore, it is characterized by positive and negative feedback mechanisms and the capacity of the VP system for co-ordinated or independent release, the latter being observed, for example, during social defeat. This emotional stressor, in contrast to exposure to a novel cage, increased VP release within the supraoptic nucleus, but not into plasma. This failure to release VP peripherally could be observed also during forced swimming, despite a dramatic rise in plasma osmolality and a markedly stimulated central release. In another series of experiments we studied the effects of centrally-released VP on cognitive and emotional aspects of behavior using reverse microdialysis for antagonist administration during the behavioral tests and antisense targeting to downregulate either VP or its local V1 receptor subtype. In this way, centrally (in particular septally) released VP could be shown to be causally involved in short-term memory and anxiety-related behavior. Furthermore, VP release within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus is likely to provide a negative tonus on the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis. This neuroendocrine effect together with cognitive, emotional and immunological effects of centrally released VP is thought to be essential to ensure adequate behavior of the animal during challenging situations and to contribute to the development of efficient coping strategies.

Hypertensive rats exhibit heightened expression of corticotropin-releasing factor in activated central neurons in response to restraint stress

To test the hypothesis that chronically elevated sympathetic drive is associated with hyperreactiveness of autonomic centers in the brain to stress, adult spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and two strains of normotensive rats (Wistar Kyoto [WKY] and Sprague Dawley [SD] rats) were acutely exposed to restraint stress; controls from each strain were not stressed. Brain sections were prepared for Fos immunohistochemistry to identify activated neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, Barrington's nucleus of the pons, nucleus of the tractus solitarius, and ventrolateral medulla, or for combined Fos immunohistochemistry and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in situ hybridization in the paraventricular nucleus and Barrington's nucleus. Restraint led to increased activation of neurons in all nuclei. Strain differences were found only in the caudal and rostral paraventricular nucleus where restraint resulted in greater numbers of activated neurons in SHRs compared to either normotensive strain. Levels of CRF mRNA in Barrington's nucleus of unrestrained rats were similar among strains. After restraint, mRNA levels and double labeled neurons were increased in Barrington's nucleus of SHRs. In unstressed rats, CRF mRNA levels were elevated in some regions of the paraventricular nucleus in SHRs. After restraint, mRNA levels increased throughout the paraventricular nucleus of SHRs. Significantly greater numbers of double labeled neurons were found in the dorsolateral medial and ventral medial parvocellular paraventricular nucleus of stressed SHRs compared to WKY or SD rats. These data show that chronic elevation in sympathetic activity, present in SHRs, is associated with hyperreactiveness of the paraventricular and Barrington's nucleus including recruitment of neurons to express CRF, and may have important implications for the response of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis during stress.

Forebrain pathways mediating stress-induced hormone secretion

Exposure to hostile conditions initiates the secretion of several hormones, including corticosterone/cortisol, catecholamines, prolactin, oxytocin, and renin, as part of the survival mechanism. Such conditions are often referred to as "stressors" and can be divided into three categories: external conditions resulting in pain or discomfort, internal homeostatic disturbances, and learned or associative responses to the perception of impending endangerment, pain, or discomfort ("psychological stress"). The hormones released in response to stressors often are referred to as "stress hormones" and their secretion is regulated by neural circuits impinging on hypothalamic neurons that are the final output toward the pituitary gland and the kidneys. This review discusses the forebrain circuits that mediate the neuroendocrine responses to stressors and emphasizes those neuroendocrine systems that have previously received little attention as stress-sensitive hormones: renin, oxytocin, and prolactin. Anxiolytic drugs of the benzodiazepine class and other drugs that affect catecholamine, GABAA, histamine, and serotonin receptors alter the neuroendocrine stress response. The effects of these drugs are discussed in relation to their effects on forebrain neural circuits that regulate stress hormone secretion. For psychological stressors such as conditioned fear, the neural circuits mediating neuroendocrine responses involve cortical activation of the basolateral amygdala, which in turn activates the central nucleus of the amygdala. The central amygdala then activates hypothalamic neurons directly, indirectly through the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and/or possibly via circuits involving brainstem serotonergic and catecholaminergic neurons. The renin response to psychological stress, in contrast to those of ACTH and prolactin, is not mediated by the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and is not suppressed by benzodiazepine anxiolytics. Stressors that challenge cardiovascular homeostasis, such as hemorrhage, trigger a pattern of neuroendocrine responses that is similar to that observed in response to psychological stressors. These neuroendocrine responses are initiated by afferent signals from cardiovascular receptors which synapse in the medulla oblongata and are relayed either directly or indirectly to hypothalamic neurons controlling ACTH, prolactin, and oxytocin release. In contrast, forebrain pathways may not be essential for the renin response to hemorrhage. Thus current evidence indicates that although a diverse group of stressors initiate similar increases in ACTH, renin, prolactin, and oxytocin, the specific neural circuits and neurotransmitter systems involved in these responses differ for each neuroendocrine system and stressor category.

Mechanisms of full-term and preterm labor: factors influencing uterine activity

OBJECTIVE

To review factors influencing uterine activity leading to delivery.

DATA SOURCES

A search was conducted on MEDLINE and CINAHL under the terms "preterm labor," "preterm delivery," and "physiology of labor and preterm labor."

STUDY SELECTION

One-hundred fifty articles were reviewed, with selection based on physiologic concepts judged to be most relevant to nursing practice.

DATA SYNTHESIS

In this review, factors initiating labor and preterm labor (PTL) are identified, along with areas for further research.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite research on what initiates labor, it is unknown how the various mechanisms are integrated. Nurses are in a position to conduct research to help further the understanding of the labor and PTL processes. Nurses can use their assessment skills to help identify women at risk for PTL and delivery.

Dissociated central and peripheral release of vasopressin, but not oxytocin, in response to repeated swim stress: new insights into the secretory capacities of peptidergic neurons

To investigate the effects of an ethologically-relevant stressor on central and peripheral release of arginine vasopressin and oxytocin, we forced adult male Wistar rats to swim for 10 min and simultaneously measured the release of the two peptides (i) within the hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei (by means of the microdialysis technique) and (ii) into the blood (by chronically-implanted jugular venous catheters). Forced swimming caused a significant rise in the release of arginine vasopressin and oxytocin within both the supraoptic nuclei (four-fold and three-fold, respectively) and the paraventricular nuclei (three-fold and four- to five-fold, respectively). Release patterns measured before, during and after repeated stress exposure on three consecutive days indicated that, at the level of the hypothalamus, the two neuropeptides are critically involved in the rats' stress response in a peptide-, locus- and stress-specific manner. Particularly, despite a general reduction of the recovery of the microdialysis probes over the time, the release of arginine vasopressin within the paraventricular nuclei and of oxytocin within the supraoptic nuclei tended to increase upon repeated stress exposure. Measurement of plasma peptide concentrations revealed that the central release of oxytocin was accompanied by a secretion of this peptide into the systemic circulation. In contrast, arginine vasopressin, assayed in the same plasma samples, failed to respond to the stressor. The latter finding is consistent with a dissociated release of the neuropeptide from different parts of a single neuron (soma/dendrites vs axon terminals). It provides evidence that under physiological conditions plasma hormone levels do not necessarily reflect the secretory activity of central components of the respective neuropeptidergic system.

Food for thought: a critique on the hypothesis that endogenous cholecystokinin acts as a physiological satiety factor

This review evaluates the various lines of evidence supporting the hypothesis that cholecystokinin (CCK) released from the small intestine during feeding plays a physiological satiety. Issues considered include, the effects of systemic injection of CCK on consummatory and operant feeding, the role of the vagus nerve, the effects of CCKB receptor antagonists, and the neuroendocrine responses to exogenous CCK. A critical appraisal of this research indicates that while it is clearly demonstratable that exogenous peripheral CCK can alter food intake by acting on CCKA receptors, the mechanism involved may be more closely related to the induction if aversion and nausea, rather than satiety. With regard to peripheral endogenous CCK, the available evidence also does not seem to support a role for the hormone in satiety. In particular, it is doubtful whether plasma concentrations of CCK following a meal are sufficiently high to inhibit feeding. Moreover, CCKA receptor antagonist which do not cross the blood brain barrier fail to increase meal size, as would be expected if peripheral CCK was an effective satiety factor. In addition, the recent literature concerned with the possibility that CCK may have a direct action within the brain in the control of food intake has been reviewed. These studies show that CCK administered intracerebroventicularly, or by micoinjection into discrete brain regions, also inhibits feeding via a CCKA receptor mechanism. However, the physiological relevance of these findings have yet to be determined.

Vasopressinergic, oxytocinergic, and somatostatinergic neuronal activity after adrenalectomy and immobilization stress

Twenty days after bilateral adrenalectomy (ADX) or immediately after the last of three 6-h long immobilization periods, the levels of hypothalamic and neurohypophyseal L-[35S]Cys-labeled arginine vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OT), and somatostatin-14 (SRIF) (only stressed animals) were measured simultaneously in male Wistar rats, after third ventricular administration of the labeled precursor, via guide-cannulae. The acetic acid-extracted labeled peptide fractions were purified by two sequential HPLC steps. After a 4 h period of labeling, only L-[35S]Cys-AVP was selectively increased in the hypothalami of ADX-ized rats, compared to the sham-operated animals, possibly reflecting a significant activation of the paraventricular parvocellular (PVC) AVP/corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons. The increased accumulation of neurohypophyseal L-[35S]Cys-labeled AVP and OT in these animals, without changes in the endogenous levels of these peptides, as measured by UV absorbance, also suggests a moderate activation of the magnocellular (MGC) AVP and OT neurons, as a consequence of adrenal insufficiency. In response to immobilization stress, levels of L-[35S]Cys-OT were selectively increased in the hypothalami and corresponding neurohypophyses, 2 h and 4 h after receiving the label, concomitantly with a statistically significant reduction in the stores of OT in the neural lobes. AVP and SRIF biosynthesis remained unaffected by immobilization; the neurohypophyseal AVP stores likewise remained unchanged. These observations suggest the selective activation of MGC-OT neurons in response to chronic immobilization stress. Selective increases in hypothalamic L-[35S]Cys-AVP in ADX-ized rats, and in hypothalamic L-[35S]Cys-OT in chronically stress-immobilized rats, are presented as a measure of PVC-AVP/CRF and MGC-OT neuronal activation, respectively.

A novel endogenous corticotropin release inhibiting factor

ACTH is the major regulator of the body's adaptive response to stress and the physiological stimulus for glucocorticoid secretion. A hypothalamic corticotropin release inhibiting factor (CRIF) that inhibits ACTH synthesis and secretion has long been postulated but was not characterized until recently. We have recently identified a 22 amino acid peptide, prepro-thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) 178-199 that inhibits basal and stimulated ACTH synthesis and secretion in vitro and stress-induced ACTH secretion in vivo. Prepro-TRH 178-199 is abundant in several brain regions, including the external zone of the median eminence, where its concentration changes in response to stress. We propose that this peptide is a physiological regulator of ACTH production: an endogenous CRIF. Because prepro-TRH 178-199 is encoded within the same precursor as TRH, its expression is likely to be negatively regulated by thyroid hormones leading to changes in endogenous glucocorticoid levels. Streptococcal cell wall (SCW)-induced inflammation, a model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), was alleviated after long-term thyroxine treatment. Inversely, a hypothyroid milieu led to decreased basal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity, but increased expression of IL-1 beta and MIP-1 alpha, specific markers for RA in humans. These results suggest that this putative CRIF may be an important component in the development of RA and that regulation of prepro TRH may be highly relevant to the development of other autoimmune diseases that are also exacerbated by low endogenous glucocorticoid levels.

Fos expression following isotonic volume expansion of the unanesthetized male rat

Cardiopulmonary afferents, baroreceptor afferents, or atrial natriuretic peptide binding to circumventricular organs may mediate the central response to volume expansion, a condition common to pregnancy, exercise training, and congestive heart failure. This study used Fos immunocytochemistry to examine brain regions activated by volume expansion. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were infused with isotonic saline equal to 10% of their body weight in 10 min followed by a maintenance infusion of 0.5 ml/min for 110 min. Control animals received 2-h infusions at 0.01 ml/min. Five minutes after the start of volume expansion, central venous pressure of expanded animals was significantly greater than control animals. The volume-expanded group exhibited significantly greater Fos activation (P < 0.05) in the area postrema, nucleus of the solitary tract, caudal ventrolateral medulla, paraventricular nucleus, supraoptic nucleus, and perinuclear zone of the supraoptic nucleus. Double labeling indicates that oxytocinergic neurons in the supraoptic nucleus are activated. Neurons in brain regions known to inhibit both sympathetic activity and vasopressin release show increased Fos expression following isotonic volume expansion.

Effects of central injection of kyotorphin and L-arginine on oxytocin and vasopressin release and blood pressure in conscious rats

Intracerebroventricular (I.C.V.) administration of an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) increases oxytocin but not vasopressin secretion, in dehydrated rats [38]. Surprisingly, central injection of L-arginine, the substrate for NOS, caused a similar effect. Kyotorphin (L-tyrosyl-L-arginine), a dipeptide formed from L-arginine by kyotorphin synthetase in the brain may mediate this magnocellular response. Therefore, the dose and time responses of hormone release were compared following I.C.V. injection of kyotorphin and L-arginine to conscious rats that were normally hydrated or deprived of water for 24 h. In water-sated rats, both L-arginine and kyotorphin increased blood pressure and plasma glucose levels coincident with elevating circulating levels of oxytocin, but not vasopressin. In dehydrated animals, both L-arginine and kyotorphin increased plasma oxytocin levels with a similar time course but only kyotorphin decreased vasopressin release. D-arginine, like L-arginine, stimulated secretion of oxytocin, indicating a nonstereospecific effect. A kyotorphin receptor antagonist (L-leucyl-L-arginine) given I.C.V. to dehydrated animals elevated plasma oxytocin and prevented the decrease in vasopressin levels after kyotorphin. Thus, kyotorphin, but not L-arginine, appears to attenuate release of vasopressin either directly from magnocellular neurons or indirectly via modulating compensatory reflexes activated by the pressor response. On the other hand, an excess of L-arginine and kyotorphin within the CNS may mimic the stress response by augmenting release of oxytocin and activating the sympathetic nervous system to increase blood pressure and plasma glucose levels.

Regulation of vasopressin synthesis and release by area postrema in rats

There is evidence indicating that the area postrema (AP), the most caudal circumventricular organ located on the dorsal surface of the medulla, is involved in several physiological regulations. In this study, we investigated the role of AP in the regulation of arginine vasopressin (AVP) synthesis and release, using rats of which the AP was lesioned 6 weeks previously. The level of plasma AVP in the AP lesioned (APX) group was significantly lower than in the sham operated (Sham) group in the basal state. AVP release induced by either hyperosmolality or hypovolemia was significantly attenuated by APX. To clarify the role of AP in AVP synthesis in the hypothalamus, we examined the AVP gene expression using in situ hybridization. AVP messenger RNA levels in paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic nuclei (SON) in the APX group were significantly lower than in the Sham group in the basal state. Moreover, the AVP messenger RNA levels in PVN and SON in the APX group were also significantly lower than in the Sham group after water deprivation for 3 days. These results suggest that AVP synthesis and release are tonically stimulated by AP in the basal state and that AVP synthesis and release in stimulated states are also regulated, at least partially, by AP.

Attenuated neuroendocrine responses to emotional and physical stressors in pregnant rats involve adenohypophysial changes

1. The responsiveness of the rat hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system (HNS) to emotional (elevated plus-maze) and physical (forced swimming) stressors and to administration of synthetic corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) was investigated during pregnancy and lactation. In addition to pregnancy-related adaptations at the adenohypophysial level, behavioural responses accompanying the neuroendocrine changes were studied. 2. Whereas basal (a.m.) plasma corticosterone, but not corticotrophin (adrenocorticotrophic hormone; ACTH), levels were increased on the last day (i.e. on day 22) of pregnancy, the stress-induced rise in both plasma hormone concentrations was increasingly attenuated with the progression of pregnancy beginning on day 15 and reaching a minimum on day 21 compared with virgin control rats. A similar attenuation of responses to both emotional and physical stressors was found in lactating rats. 3. Although the basal plasma oxytocin concentration was elevated in late pregnancy, the stress-induced rise in oxytocin secretion was slightly lower in day 21 pregnant rats. In contrast to vasopressin, oxytocin secretion was increased by forced swimming in virgin and early pregnant rats indicating a differential stress response of these neurohypophysial hormones. 4. The blunted HPA response to stressful stimuli is partly due to alterations at the level of corticotrophs in the adenohypophysis, as ACTH secretion in response to CRH in vivo (40 ng kg-1, i.v.) was reduced with the progression of pregnancy and during lactation. In vitro measurement of cAMP levels in pituitary segments demonstrated reduced basal levels of cAMP and a lower increase after CRH stimulation (10 nM, 10 min) in day 21 pregnant compared with virgin rats, further indicating reduced corticotroph responsiveness to CRH in pregnancy. 5. The reduced pituitary response to CRH in late pregnancy is likely to be a consequence of a reduction in CRH receptor binding as revealed by receptor autoradiography. [125I] CRH binding in the anterior pituitary was significantly reduced in day 11, 17 and 22 pregnant rats compared with virgin controls. 6. Anxiety-related behaviour of the animals as revealed by the time on and entries into the open arms of the elevated plus-maze was different between virgin and pregnant rats with decreased number of entries indicating increased anxiety with the progression of pregnancy (except on pregnancy day 18). The emotional behaviour, however, was not correlated with the neuroendocrine responses. 7. The results indicate that the reduced response of the HPA axis to stressors described previously during lactation is already manifested around day 15 of pregnancy in the rat and involves physiological adaptations at the adenohypophysial level. However, alterations in stressor perception at higher brain levels with the progression of pregnancy may also be involved.

Changes in oxytocin content in rat brain during morphine withdrawal

In this study the modification in the oxytocin content in different hypothalamic nuclei during morphine withdrawal was analysed. Male rats were implanted with placebo (naïve) or morphine (tolerant/dependent) pellets for 7 days. On day 7, groups of rats received an acute injection of saline s.c. (control) or naloxone (1 mg/kg s.c.) and were decapitated 30 min later. After administration of naloxone to tolerant rats (withdrawal) an increase in the oxytocin content in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and median eminence (ME) was found. No changes were found in the arcuate nucleus (AN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON). Present data demonstrate that administration of naloxone to tolerant rats alters the brain oxytocin system, which suggests that this peptide might contribute to the behavioural, emotional and neuroendocrine response to opioid.

Stress increases oxytocin release within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus

Evidence indicates that the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and oxytocin (OT) neurons in particular play a role in the physiological response to stress. Microdialysis (MD) experiments were performed to determine whether OT is released into the PVN during shaker stress. Male rats were prepared with venous catheters and PVN guide cannulae. OT and vasopressin (VP) release into PVN and peripheral blood were measured under basal conditions and during and after shaker stress (10 min at 110 cycles/min). Stress produced a specific increase in PVN and plasma OT. Dialysate OT levels were 0.3+/-0.1, 2.8+/-1.2 and 1.3+/-0.6 pg/sample (control, stress and recovery, respectively). Plasma OT was significantly increased during stress (3.7+/-1.2 vs. 11.7+/-2.3 pg/ml, basal vs. stress, respectively). When MD probes were located outside the PVN, there was no increase in OT release, demonstrating site specificity. Stress produced no change in VP levels, either in dialysate or plasma. These results show that OT, but not VP, is released into the PVN and peripheral blood in response to shaker stress. The data raise the possibility that local release of OT into the PVN plays a role in the neuroendocrine stress cascade.

Anorectic action of bombesin requires receptor for corticotropin-releasing factor but not for oxytocin

The marked functional similarities between pharmacological effects of bombesin and of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), prompted the formulation and testing of our working hypothesis that BN may elicit its biological effects through the release of CRF. Central pretreatment with CRF receptor antagonists, alpha-helical CRF-(9-41) (alpha-CRF-(9-41)) or [D-Phe12, C(alpha)MeLeu37]CRF-(12-41) (CalphaMeCRF), blocked the effects of centrally administered bombesin on food intake and related behaviors and partially attenuated the satiety effects of systemically administered bombesin. We also attempted to characterize the specificity of this interaction through the combined use of bombesin with the oxytocin antagonist, [d(CH2)5, Tyr(OMe)2, Orn8]vasotocin (vasotocin). Central pretreatment with vasotocin failed to alter bombesin-induced behaviors, suggesting the absence of a pharmacological interaction between these two peptidergic systems. Finally, the CRF antagonist failed to reverse the oxytocin-induced suppression of food intake, indicating that CRF does not have a direct role in the mediation and/or modulation of the effects of oxytocin on food intake. Thus, the present experiments support the contention that bombesin partly mediates its feeding-suppressant effects through interactions with CRF. The specificity of this interaction is supported by the lack of interaction between bombesin and/or CRF with oxytocin.

Chronic immobilization stress reduces sodium intake and renal excretion in rats

The influence of chronic exposure to immobilization (IMO) on sodium appetite as well as sodium and potassium renal excretion in adult male Wistar rats was studied. The animals were individually housed and all variables under observation were measured in metabolic cages the first, seventh, and thirteenth days once the experiment had started. Half of the rats had access to water, and the remainder of the rats had access to both water and saline solution (1.5% NaCl). IMO reduced the intake of saline solution. Renal water, sodium, and potassium excretion in those IMO rats having access to saline were lower than in control rats. The effects of IMO were very similar during all observation days; therefore no evidence of adaptation to repeated stress was found. The present data indicate the following: (i) IMO stress reduced sodium appetite, probably as a secondary effect to the deficit in sodium renal excretion; (ii) IMO caused antidiuresis and antikaliuresis, only in those rats taking saline solution; (iii) no adaptation to repeated IMO stress was found in any of the tested variables. The reduction of sodium appetite observed in stressed rats might be a homeostatic mechanism to maintain sodium balance after impairment of renal sodium excretion caused by stress.

Estrogen-regulated non-reproductive behaviors and breast cancer risk: animal models and human studies

The possible role of personality patterns and psychosocial factors in breast cancer has been studied extensively, through both human and animal experiments. The data are conflicting, and the conclusions controversial. This review will serve two purposes. First, we present evidence that behavioral patterns most commonly linked to breast cancer risk are at least partly regulated by estrogens. This section will suggest that some estrogen-regulated behaviors may be markers of increased breast cancer risk. Second, we will briefly review recent findings in animals connecting psychosocial factors to cancer. We also will address the plausible biological mechanisms. The literature suggests that estrogens, particularly when exposure occurs during the critical developmental periods, such as in utero, puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, influence affective behaviors and increase breast cancer risk. The affective behaviors include depression, aggression, and alcohol intake. Thus, psychosocial and personality factors do not necessarily have a direct impact on breast cancer risk; instead, estrogens have a dual effect on behavior and on the breast.

Vasopressin and oxytocin gene expression in the porcine forebrain under basal conditions and following acute stress

This study, the first using the pig, examined expression of mRNAs for vasopressin (VP), oxytocin (OT), preproenkephalin (PENK) and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) in the forebrain, and of POMC and prolactin in the pituitary. High basal expression of VP and OT mRNAs was present in the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei. In the PVN, VP was found in magnocellular regions whereas OT was also seen in the parvocellular portion; the distribution of VP and OT mRNAs in the SON was as reported in other species. The suprachiasmatic nucleus contained VP mRNA but only OT message was present in the dorsomedial SON, a structure peculiar to swine. Gene expression for PENK occurred in the caudate putamen (CPu), for POMC in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) and for prolactin and POMC in the hypophysis. Following restraint, VP message increased in the magnocellular PVN, as did PENK in the CPu and POMC in the MBH.

Effects of stress and glucocorticoids on CNS oxytocin receptor binding

Oxytocin receptors in several regions of the limbic system are regulated by gonadal steroids and play an important role in the mediation of maternal, sexual and affiliative behaviors. We have previously reported oxytocin receptor regulation by glucocorticoids in hippocampus and subiculum-neuroanatomical regions implicated in memory and stress regulation. In the current study we examined oxytocin receptor regulation by stress and high glucocorticoid concentration in adrenally intact male rats. Single prolonged stress and chronic non-habituating stress were used as experimental conditions in the first study, and chronic non-habituating and high dose corticosterone implants in the second. Oxytocin receptor concentration was assessed using in vitro receptor autoradiography with [125I]OVTA at the approximate KD concentration. Both stress paradigms increased oxytocin receptor binding (F = 3.7, df = 2, p = .03) across brain regions in the first study. Chronic non-habituating stress and corticosterone implants increased oxytocin receptor binding in the ventral hippocampus only (one-way ANOVA, F = 3.88, df = 2, p < .05). The current studies demonstrate that stress increases oxytocin receptor binding in areas of the CNS that are rich in glucocorticoid receptors, such as hippocampus. This suggests differential regulation of oxytocin receptors in CNS, depending upon their functional role in different regions. Oxytocin receptor modulation could mediate some of the long-term effects of stress on memory, and possibly play a role in the regulation of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal stress response. The ability of circulating glucocorticoids to up-regulate these receptors suggests a plausible mechanism for this stress-sensitive regulation.

Single and repeated environmental stress: effect on plasma oxytocin, corticosterone, catecholamines, and behavior

Rat studies were done to further characterize an environmental model of stress designated shaker stress (SS). Plasma oxytocin (OT), corticosterone (CS), norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine (E) were measured before and after 5 or 30 min of SS applied one time or applied 10 times over a 2-week period. The major findings were partial adaptation of plasma E within 30 min of acute SS, adaptation of plasma CS baselines but not responses to chronic SS, and complete adaptation of plasma OT responses to chronic SS. Poststress behavior during chronic SS was affected in the following ways: freezing time habituated, defecation and rearings increased, and grooming and teeth chattering remained relatively constant. The results show that SS produces consistent patterns of hormonal and behavioral responses; some aspects of the patterns are similar to those elicited by other environmental stresses, whereas some aspects are unique to SS. We conclude that rats do not adapt to repeated SS but rather that most hormonal and behavioral defense mechanisms are renewable on a daily basis.

Changes in hypothalamic oxytocin levels during morphine tolerance

The role of hypothalamic oxytocin neurons in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis adaptation during opioid tolerance has not been explored. In this study the modification of oxytocin levels in different hypothalamic nuclei was determined after acute or chronic morphine exposure. Male rats were implanted with placebo (naïve) or morphine (tolerant) pellets for 7 days. On day 8, groups of rats received an acute injection of either saline i.p. or morphine (30 mg/kg i.p.) and were sacrificed 30 min later. In morphine-tolerant rats, there was a decrease in the oxytocin content in the median eminence (ME) and in the supraoptic nucleus (SO) after acute injection of saline or morphine. No modifications were seen in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). The present study demonstrates that chronic morphine administration alters the brain oxytocin system, which suggests that this peptide might contribute to the behavioural, emotional and neuroendocrine responses to opioids.

Effects of oxytocin, arginine-vasopressin and lysine-vasopressin on insulin and glucagon secretion in sheep

The effects of the posterior-pituitary peptides oxytocin (OT), arginine-vasopressin (AVP) and lysine-vasopressin (LVP) on insulin and glucagon secretion were examined in adult sheep. Each peptide was injected intravenously at doses from 1 to 3000 pmol kg-1. All three peptides increased plasma insulin and glucagon concentrations, but their dose-response relationships revealed differences between them. The maximal insulin responses induced by OT and AVP were very similar, but the threshold and maximal doses of AVP for increasing plasma insulin were higher than those of OT. OT and AVP had the same activity for stimulating glucagon secretion in respect of the threshold and maximal doses and the maximal hormone response. LVP also increased plasma insulin and glucagon concentrations, but it had the weakest activity for stimulating both hormones. These results suggest that in sheep posterior-pituitary peptide may play a role in regulating nutrient metabolism by influencing pancreatic hormone secretion.

Stress-induced activation of nitric oxide-producing neurons in the rat brain

Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous neurotransmitter that may mediate a decrease in sympathetic output to the periphery. This implication predicts that NO-producing neurons in the brain are activated in animals experiencing increased levels of sympathetic activity. To test this prediction, we subjected three groups of experimental rats to differing levels of environmental stimulation for 1 hour: minimal stimulation, moderate stimulation, and restraint stress. NO-producing neurons were histochemically visualized in sections of the brain, and activation of these neurons was assessed according to the neuronal expression of the immediate early gene c-fos. Constitutive activation of NO-producing neurons was found in the hypothalamus (paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei), dorsal raphe nuclei, and spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve of minimally stimulated rats. When animals were subjected to a novel environment (moderate stimulation), additional NO-producing neurons were activated in the medial septum, medial amygdala, hypothalamic nuclei (lateral, periventricular, and posterior), colliculi, nucleus raphe obscurus, medial vestibular nucleus, nucleus of the tractus solitarius, and several components of the ventrolateral medulla. Restraint stress caused the activation of NO-producing neurons in all of these areas, often in increasing numbers, and the activation of additional NO-producing neurons in the diagonal band of Broca, lateral and medial preoptic areas, basomedial and basolateral amygdalar nuclei, hypothalamic nuclei (dorsomedial, retrochiasmatic supraoptic, and circularis), nucleus raphe pontus, lateral parabrachial nucleus, and pontine nuclei. Expressed as a proportion of NO-producing neurons per section, the largest percentages (>20%) of double-stained neurons were found in the basolateral amygdala (46%), hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (35%), corpora quadrigemina (estimated at 40%), dorsal raphe (45%), nuclei raphe pontus (33%) and obscurus (63%), lateral parabrachial nucleus (22%), medial vestibular nucleus (25%), lateral division of the nucleus paragigantocellularis (26%), and lateral reticular nucleus (35%). Evidence from other studies increasingly supports the concept that NO plays a generalized role in autonomic regulation by decreasing sympathetic output. Our results show that more NO-producing neurons were activated during stress than during minimal or moderate levels of stimulation. Together, the evidence suggests that NO is a neurochemical messenger that is utilized by individual autonomic neurons as the organism responds to increased levels of sympathetic activity.

Differential responses of oxytocin and vasopressin neurons to the osmotic and stressful components of hypertonic saline injections: a Fos protein double labeling study

Expression of Fos protein, detected immunocytochemically, was used to assess the relative responses of supraoptic nucleus (SON) oxytocin- (OX) and vasopressin- (VP) containing neurons to the osmotic vs. the osmotic plus stressful components of intraperitoneal hypertonic saline injections. The percentage of SON neurons showing Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-ir) was quantified for rats receiving general anesthesia only, anesthesia 1 h prior to either isotonic or hypertonic saline injection or no anesthesia prior to hypertonic injection. Hypertonic saline injection with and without anesthesia induced Fos-ir in 66% and 77% of SON neurons, respectively, whereas isotonic saline with anesthesia and anesthesia alone resulted in 15% and 13%, respectively, of cells showing Fos-ir. Double labeling for Fos-ir and either OX-ir or VP-ir resulted in quantitatively different responses to hypertonic injections with and without anesthesia in OX-ir and VP-ir neurons. The VP-ir neuronal response was similar under the two conditions: 49% and 48% of VP cells displaying Fos-ir with and without prior anesthesia, respectively. By contrast, a higher percentage of OX-ir neurons was found to exhibit Fos-ir without (68%) than with (53%) anesthesia. Thus, a greater percentage of neurons was induced to express Fos-ir when the stressful components of the hypertonic injection were unattenuated by anesthesia, and this difference was entirely due to increased numbers of responding OX neurons. These data indicate that, under these experimental conditions, SON OX neurons respond in larger numbers to the osmotic components of hypertonic saline injections and have a greater responsiveness than do VP neurons to the stressful components.

Oxytocin and vasopressin mRNA expression in rat hypothalamus following kainic acid-induced seizures

In this study, the regulation of hypothalamic oxytocin and vasopressin messenger RNA expression following the induction of seizures was investigated by in situ hybridization. Following kainic acid-induced seizures, a significant increase in oxytocin messenger RNA in the paraventricular nucleus was demonstrated at 1.5 h, one and two weeks; its level decreased at three weeks and was significantly increased again at four weeks; at eight weeks the messenger RNA level still remained higher than that of controls. Vasopressin messenger RNA in the paraventricular nucleus was increased significantly only at 1.5 h following induction of seizures. The oxytocin messenger RNA level in the supraoptic nucleus was also increased early at 1.5 h and later at four weeks following seizures; however, these increases did not last as long as those in the paraventricular nucleus. Vasopressin messenger RNA in the supraoptic nucleus was also increased after the initial seizures; however, its messenger RNA level vacillated up and down throughout the post-seizure times studied. The earliest significant increase of vasopressin messenger RNA was at one week after seizures, and there was a late significant increase of vasopressin messenger RNA at three weeks after seizures. The present study demonstrates that following kainic acid-induced seizures both, the oxytocin and vasopressin messenger RNA expressions, were up-regulated and these up-regulations were long-term events. The increase of oxytocin messenger RNA in the paraventricular nucleus was more persistent than the others. The pattern of messenger RNA up-regulation was different for oxytocin and vasopressin, and different in the paraventricular nucleus and supraoptic nucleus. These different patterns of messenger RNA elevations suggest that the different components of the rat hypothalamus were regulated differentially by kainic acid-induced seizures.

Vasopressin and oxytocin in stress

Though oxytocin and vasopressin are similar in structure and are produced in the same brain regions, they show specific responses under stress conditions. In humans, increases in peripheral blood vasopressin appear to be a consistent finding during many acute stress situations, while in rats, vasopressin secretion is unresponsive to several stimuli known to induce ACTH and catecholamine release. Even decreases in vasopressin levels during stress were described. In accordance with others, we observed enhanced vasopressin release in response to stress stimuli with an osmotic component such as hypertonic saline injection but also during exposure of rats to a warm environment. Immobilization stress which fails to induce vasopressin release was reported to increase hypothalamic vasopressin mRNA and plasma vasopressin levels in chronically adreno-demedullated rats. Unlike vasopressin, oxytocin may be considered a typical stress hormone responding to osmotic as well as other stress stimuli. We found that acute exposure of rats to immobilization stress resulted in an increase in oxytocin mRNA level. In addition, we have shown that magnocellular neurons of the paraventricular nucleus, but not the supraoptic nucleus, are essential for oxytocin release during immobilization stress. The release of posterior pituitary hormones represents an important component of the stress response.