Abstract
A comprehensive study of monoamine transmitter and metabolite concentrations measured by HPLC was undertaken in female (vasopressin-deficient) Brattleboro rats as compared to Long Evans rats. Noradrenaline was significantly increased in 8 out of 13 dissected brain regions, whereas concentrations of the metabolite 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol were not altered. The increases were not restricted to areas which are normally innervated by vasopressin-containing neurons. Serotonin was increased in 6 and dopamine in 4 regions and this was accompanied in some areas by increases in the metabolites 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. Only in the striatum, cerebellum, and the medulla-pons no changes could be detected in any of the compounds of interest. These results show that the long term absence of vasopressin in Brattleboro rats appears to be associated with increases in monoamine transmitter contents and decreased metabolite/transmitter ratios. The regional distribution of these changes does not bear any relationship to the regional distribution of vasopressin cell bodies or nerve endings.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Versteeg D. H. G. 1983. Neurohypophyseal hormones and brain neurochemistry, Pharmac. Ther. 19:297–325.
Versteeg, D. H. G., De Kloet, E. R., Van Wimersma Greidanus, T. and De Wied, D. 1979. Vasopressin modulates the activity of catecholamine containing neurons in specific brain regions. Neurosci. Lett. 11:69–73.
Veldhuis, H. D., Van Wimersma Greidanus, T. B., and Versteeg, D. H. G. 1987. Microinjection of anti-vasopressin serum into limbic structures of the rat brain: effects on passive avoidance responding and on local catecholamine utilization, Brain Res. 425:167–173.
Dogterom, J., Snijdewint, F. G. M., and Buijs, R. M. 1978. The distribution of vasopressin and oxytocin in the rat brain, Neurosci. Lett. 9:341–346.
Leonard, B. E., Ramaekers, F., and Rigter, H. 1976. Monoamines in brain and urine of rats with hereditary hypothalamic diabetes insipidus, Experientia 32:901–902.
Versteeg, D. H. G., Tanaka, M., and De Kloet, E. R. 1978. Catecholamine concentration and turnover in discrete regions of the brain of the homozygous Brattleboro rat deficient in vasopressin, Endocrinology 103:1654–1661.
Kovacs, G. L., Szabo, G., Szontagh, L., Medve, L., Telegdy, G., and Laszlo, F. A. 1980. Hereditary diabetes insipidus in rats. Altered cerebral indolamine and catecholamine metabolism, Neuroendocrinol. 31:189–193.
Boer, G. J., Van Rheenen-Verberg, C. M. H., and Uylings, H. B. M. 1982. Impaired brain development of the diabetes insipidus Brattleboro rat, Dev. Brain Res. 3:557–575.
Snijdewint, F. G. M., Boer, G. J., and Swaab, D. F. 1988. Prenatal development of the Brattleboro rat is influenced by genotype, and lysine-vasopressin treatment of the mother. Biol. Neonate 53:295–304.
Holzbauer, M., Sharman, D. F., Godden, U., Mann, S. P., Blatchford, D., Laverty, R., and Jarvis, L. G. 1980. Observations on pituitary and cerebral catecholamines in Brattleboro rats, Med. Biol. 58:25–32.
De Vries, G. J., Buijs, R. M., Van Leeuwen, F. W., Caffé, A. R., and Swaab, D. F. 1985. The vasopressinergic innervation of the brain in normal and castrated rats, J. Comp. Neurol. 233:236–254.
Westerink, B. H. C. 1983. Analysis of trace amounts of catecholamines and related compounds in brain tissue: a study near the detection limit of liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, J. Liq. Chrom. 6:2337–2351.
Scheinin, H., MacDonald, E., and Scheinin, M. 1986. Comparison of free MHPG in rat cerebrospinal fluid with free and conjugated MHPG in brain tissue: effects of drugs modifying noradrenergic neurotransmission. European J. Pharmacol. 129:113–121.
Dogterom, J., and Buijs, R. M. 1980. Vasopressin and oxytocin distribution in rat brain: radioimmunoassay and immunocytochemical studies, Pages 307–314in C. Ajmone Marsan and W. Z. Traczyk (eds), Neuropeptides and neurotransmission: Raven Press, New York.
Van Leeuwen, F. W. 1987. Vasopressin receptors in the brain and pituitary, pages 477–496in Vasopressin: Principles and properties (D. M. Gash and G. J. Boer eds), New York, Plenum Press.
Boer, G. J. 1985. Vasopressin and brain development: studies using the Brattleboro rat. Peptides 6, Suppl. 1:49–62.
Shoemaker, W. J., and Wurtman, R. J. 1971. Perinatal undernutrition: accumulation of catecholamines in rat brain. Science 171:1017–1019.
Lee, C.-J., and Dubos, R. 1972. Lasting biological effects of early environmental influences. VIII. Effects of neonatal infection, perinatal malnutrition, and crowding on catecholamine metabolism of brain. J. Exp. Med. 136:1031–1042.
Huttunen, M. O. 1971. Persistent alteration of turnover of brain noradrenaline in the offspring of rats subjected to stress during pregnancy. Nature 230:53–55.
Moyer, J. A., Herrenkohl, L. R., and Jacobowitz, D. M. 1978. Stress during pregnancy: effect on catecholamines in discrete brain regions of offspring as adults. Brain Res. 144:173–178.
Snijdewint, F. G. M., Van Leeuwen, F. W., and Boer, G. J. 1989. Ontogeny of vasopressin and oxytocin binding sites in the brain of Wistar and Brattleboro rats as demonstrated by lightmicroscopical autoradiography. J. Chem. Neuroanat. 2:3–17.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Feenstra, M.G.P., Snijdewint, F.G.M., Van Galen, H. et al. Widespread alterations in central noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin systems in the Brattleboro rat not related to the local absence of vasopressin. Neurochem Res 15, 283–288 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00968673
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00968673