Changes of neuropeptides and electrolytes in patients with acute traumatic brain injury

AIM: To investigate the levels of neuropeptides and electrolytes in the patients with acute traumatic brain injury.METHODS: Seventy-eight patients with acute brain injury were divided into mild, moderate and severe groups according to their GCS scores. The serum levels of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and angiotensin II (Ang II) were measured on day 1, 3 and 7 after injury. The serum levels of electrolytes were also measured on day 1. Forty-one subjects who received healthy check-up served as normalcontrols. RESULTS: Compared with normal control group, the serum levels of AVP and Ang II significantly increased in the patients with traumatic brain injury (P<0.01), depending on the severity of brain injury. Both neuropeptides reached the peak on day 3 after injury. The concentrations of serum potassium and calcium decreased in the patients with acute brain injury(P<0.01),also showing a severity-dependent tendency. No significant change of serum sodium in the patients with brain injury was observed. CONCLUSION: The serum levels of arginine vasopressin and angiotensin II canalso be used as the severity indicators of traumatic brain injuries. Decrease in serum potassium and calcium can also be used to evaluate the severity in patients with acute traumatic brain injury.     

催产素和加压素在犬泡状绦虫的免疫组化定位和分布

应用免疫组化ＡＢＣ法研究了催产素和加压素在犬泡状绦虫的定位和分布。在犬泡状绦虫中枢神经系统的脑神经节、２条主要纵神经索和环神经内观察到大量阳性纤维和少量阳性细胞。周围神经系统可见阳性神经纤维在皮层和实质形成神经网。从纵神经索和环神经发出的阳性纤维向生殖器官和皮层的肌肉分布。顶突的小钩之间的肌肉存在阳性反应物，小钩周围有较明显的阳性反应环。生殖器官呈现着色深浅不同的阳性反应，以卵囊—梅氏腺复合体最为明显。结果表明，催产素和加压素的免疫反应物具有相同的分布，它们可能参与虫体的神经内分泌调节。     

鸡下丘脑加压素免疫反应神经元的分布——PAP法研究

鸡加压素(VP)免疫反应神经元分布于视上核、室旁核的中部和后部、视上交叉核、视前大细胞核、室周弓状核、下丘脑外侧核和室周核,正中隆起、视上背侧交叉和隔内侧区存在大量的VP阳性纤维末梢.在第三脑室室管膜和脑基底神经胶质板上也存在VP阳性神经元.同时发现室旁核、室周核、室周弓状核及视前大细胞核的VP阳性神经元有突起伸入到第三脑室室管膜或突出于脑室腔,视上核的VP阳性神经元也有突起投射至脑基底神经胶质板上或伸至蛛网膜下腔.据此认为,VP的释放是多途径的.     

Role of endogenous arginine vasopressin in soman-induced hypothermia in rats

AIM: This study was designed to examine whether endogenous arginine vasopressin (AVP) is involved in soman-induced hypothermic process. METHODS: Core temperature was measured at 60 min intervals with digital thermometer. Effect of AVP V₁ receptor antagonist (30 μg/kg, ip) on soman-induced hypothermia was observed in rats, and plasma AVP concentration was measured at 2 h after administration of soman(60 μg/kg, sc). RESULTS: Administration of soman led to a marked hypothermia. Core temperature recovered to basal levels at 7 h after soman treatment. Plasma AVP concentration increased markedly at 2 h after soman treatment, and administration of AVP V₁ receptor antagonist markedly blocked the hypothermic effect of soman. CONCLUSION: The data indicate that AVP is involved in soman-induced hypothermia in the rat.     

Effects of arginine vasopressin on subunit phosphorylation of GABAA receptors in rat preoptic area

AIM: To investigate the effects of arginine vasopressin (AVP) on the expression and phosphorylation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) subtype A receptor (GABA_A receptor) subunits in the preoptic area (POA) of rats. METHODS: The rats were divided into AVP group (n=10), AVP+V1a receptor blocker group (n=10), V1a receptor blocker group (n=10) and control group (n=10). After intraperitoneal injection of AVP or V1a receptor antagonist for 0.5 h, the changes of the expression and phosphorylation of POA GABA_A receptor subunits (α, β and γ2) were analyzed by RT-qPCR and Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with control group, no significant change of GABA_A receptor subunit expression in the rats injected with AVP or V1a receptor antagonist was observed. AVP up-regulated the phosphorylation level of POA GABA_A receptor γ2 subunit (P<0.05), and significantly increased the expression and phosphorylation of protein kinase C (PKC) and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ (CaMKⅡ). CONCLUSION: Exogenous AVP has no effect on expression of POA GABA_A receptor subunits (α, β and γ2) and is involved in modulation of GABAergic synaptic transmission in the POA by activation of PKC and CaMKⅡ and phosphorylation of γ2 subunit via V1a receptor.     

Density-induced social stress alters oxytocin and vasopressin activities in the brain of a small rodent species

It is known that social stress could alter oxytocin (OT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) expression in specific regions of brains which regulate the aggressive behavior of small rodents, but the effects of density-induced social stress are still unknown. Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) are small herbivores in the grassland of China, but the underlying neurological mechanism of population regulation is still unknown. We tested the effects of housing density of Brandt's voles on OT/AVP system with physical contact (allowing aggression) and without physical contact (not allowing aggression) under laboratory conditions. Then, we tested the effects of paired-aggression (no density effect) of Brandt's voles on OT/AVP system under laboratory conditions. We hypothesized that high density would increase aggression among animals which would then increase AVP but reduce OT in brains of animals. Our results showed that high housing density induced more aggressive behavior. We found high-density-induced social stress (with or without physical contact) and direct aggression significantly increased expression of mRNA and protein of AVP and its receptor, but decreased expression of mRNA and protein of OT and its receptor in specific brain regions of voles. The results suggest that density-dependent change of OT/AVP systems may play a significant role in the population regulation of small rodents by altering density-dependent aggressive behavior.     

Effect of different ambient temperatures on arginine vasopressin-induced hypothermia in rats and its relationship with heat loss from the tail

AIM：To determine the effect of different ambient temperatures on arginine vasopressin (AVP)-induced hypothermia in rats and its relationship with the change of heat loss from the tail, and to assess if peripheral AVP administration increases heat loss from the tail. METHODS：The core temperature and tail skin temperature in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats at three different ambient temperatures (12 ℃, 22 ℃ and 32 ℃) were monitored by wireless telemetry. The rats were intraperitoneally injected with AVP (10 μg/kg) or vasopressin V1a receptor antagonist (30 μg/kg) at 10:00 AM. The diameters of microvessels in the spinotrapezius muscle and the grooming behavior in the rats were also observed after treatment with AVP or vasopressin V1a receptor antagonist. RESULTS：AVP-induced hypothermia in the rats at three ambient temperatures was accompanied by a decrease in tail skin temperature. V1a receptor antagonist attenuated the hypothermia and the decrease in tail skin temperature induced by AVP (10 μg/kg). AVP induced significant constriction of the microvessels in the spinotrapezius muscle. AVP also enhanced the grooming behavior (salivary grooming) in the rats and this effect was inhibited by peripheral administration of vasopressin V1a receptor antagonist. Endogenous AVP did not mediate the heat loss from the tail in normal rats. CONCLUSION：Peripheral AVP induces hypothermia in rats. It does not lower the set point of body temperature, and its hypothermic effect may attribute to the suppression of thermoregulatory heat production and the increase in salivary grooming (saliva spreading for evaporative heat loss).     

Physiological adaptations of small mammals to desert ecosystems

Adaptations of animals to the xeric environment have been studied in various taxonomic groups and across several deserts. Despite the impressive data that have been accumulated, the focus in most of these studies is mainly on the significance of one variable at a time. Here, we attempt to integrate between responses of several physiological systems, challenged by increasing diet and water salinity and extreme temperatures, acquired in different studies of thermo and osmo‐regulatory adaptations, of small rodents, to the xeric environment. Studies have shown differential thermoregulatory responses to increased dietary salinity, which were attributed to habitat and habits of the relevant species. In the thermoregulatory studies, a potential adaptive significance of low metabolic rate was demonstrated. From an evolutionary point of view, the most important adaptation is in the timing of reproduction, as it enables the transfer of genetic properties to the next generation in an unpredictable ecosystem, where reproduction might not occur every year. Results in this aspect show that increased dietary salinity, through an increase in vasopressin plasma levels, plays an important role as a regulator of the reproductive system. We assume that the amount of food existing in the habitat and the amount of reserves in the animal in the form of white adipose tissue are important for reproduction. Photoperiod affects all studied physiological responses, emphasizing the importance of pre‐acclimation to seasonal characteristics. We summarize the existing data and suggest neuro‐endocrine pathways, which have a central role in these adaptations by affecting thermoregulation, osmoregulation and reproduction to create the optimal response to xeric conditions. These hypotheses can be used as the basis for future studies.