Decreased vasopressin content in brain stem of rats with spontaneous hypertension

Abstract
Summary The content of arginine vasopressin in the brain stem and neurohypophysis of adult spontaneously hypertensive rats was measured by radioimmunoassay and the values were compared to those measured in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. In the brain stem of hypertensive rats, AVP content was decreased by 77% while neurohypophyseal AVP content was increased by 26%. The results demonstrate that brain stem AVP levels and neurohypophyseal AVP levels may change differentially and they are consistent with the possibility that brain stem AVP may be involved in altering cardiovascular reflex activity.