The Journal of Neuroscience, March 1, 2002, 22(5):1513-1522
Activation by Serotonin and Noradrenaline of Vasopressin and
Oxytocin Expression in the Mouse Paraventricular and Supraoptic
Nuclei
Claire-Marie
Vacher1,
Philippe
Frétier2,
Christophe
Créminon2,
André
Calas1, and
Hélène
Hardin-Pouzet1
1 Laboratory of Neurobiology of Intercellular Signals,
Unité Mixte de Recherche 7101, Centre National de la
Recherche Scientifique, Pierre and Marie Curie University, 75252 Paris
Cedex 05, France, and 2 Commissionership to Atomic Energy,
Service of Pharmacology and Immunology, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette
Cedex, France
Noradrenaline and serotonin are known to control
arginine-vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) secretion in the systemic
circulation. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether
these monoamines are also able to influence AVP and OT
expression in the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic nuclei (SON). To
test this hypothesis, we used the Tg8 transgenic mice KO for the
monoamine oxidase-A gene, which present high levels of noradrenaline
and serotonin in the brain. AVP and OT expression were evaluated at peptide and mRNA levels by immunohistochemistry, enzyme immunoassay, and in situ hybridization. Compared with wild type, the
amounts of AVP, OT, AVP mRNA, and OT mRNA were increased in the PVN and SON in Tg8 mice. To distinguish the respective contributions of noradrenaline and serotonin to these modifications, we treated Tg8 mice with a synthesis inhibitor of either catecholamines
[
-methylparatyrosine (
-MPT)] or serotonin
[parachlorophenylalanine (pCPA)]. Administration of
-MPT to Tg8
mice induced a decline in the amounts of AVP, OT, and their mRNA in the
PVN and SON. The pCPA treatment in Tg8 mice was also associated with a
decrease in OT expression in the PVN and SON and in AVP expression in
the PVN, but not in the SON. These results suggest that noradrenaline
may activate AVP and OT expression in the PVN and SON. Likewise,
serotonin is proposed to stimulate AVP and OT expression in the PVN and
only OT expression in the SON.
Key words:
vasopressin; oxytocin; paraventricular nucleus; supraoptic nucleus; serotonin; noradrenaline; monoamine oxidase; transgenic mouse
Copyright © 2002 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/02/2251513-10$05.00/0