title: Effects of sex steroid hormones on arginine vasopressin in intact and castrated male and female rats.
abstract: In the present study we have examined the effects of androgens and estrogens on circulating arginine vasopressin (AVP). Adult male Wistar rats had serum AVP levels of 0.4 microU/ml. Two weeks after bilateral castration, AVP rose to 2.6 microU/ml, but daily testosterone administration (100 microgram/100 g BW) to the castrate males prevented the AVP increase (0.8 microU/ml). During a normal estrous cycle, adult female Wistar rats had AVP values of 0.6 microU/ml during diestrus, 4.6 microU/ml on the morning of proestrus, 1.3 microU/ml on the afternoon or proestrus, and 1.5 microU/ml on the day of estrus. These changes in AVP paralleled the presumed changes in serum estradiol. Two weeks after bilateral ovariectomy of the adult female rats, AVP was 1.4 microU/ml but daily estradiol injections (100 microgram/100 g BW) to the castrate females produced a rise of serum AVP to 5.0 microU/ml. The results suggest an androgen inhibition and an estrogen stimulation of serum AVP levels.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000097:blood*; D002369:Castration; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D012737:Sex Factors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol