Immunoreactive arginine vasopressin in the rat thymus.
Immunoreactive arginine vasopressin (ir-AVP), coeluting with authentic nonapeptide on reverse phase HPLC, is present in the thymus of Sprague-Dawley, Long-Evans, and homozygous (di/di) Brattleboro rats, and BALB/c mice. By immunohistochemistry, ir-AVP positive cells are sparse, and do not appear to be lymphocytes. Adrenalectomy and dexamethasone administration to intact rats produces an identical response in terms of thymic ir-AVP, with a rise after 1-2 days followed by a fall to levels below baseline after 8 days. The rise 2 days after adrenalectomy, and the fall 8 days later, were both prevented by administration of aldosterone, but not by corticosterone or dexamethasone to adrenalectomized animals. The role(s) of thymic ir-AVP, and the physiological significance of its mineralocorticoid dependence, remain to be established.
D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D051381:Rats; D011910:Rats, Brattleboro; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D000450:Aldosterone; D003907:Dexamethasone; D003345:Corticosterone