Increased loss of brain DNA in the neonatal vasopressin-deficient Brattleboro rat, but not in normal rat treated with vasopressin antagonist.
In order to establish whether vasopressin (VP) influences brain cell survival, [3H]thymidine was injected in 10-day-old vasopressin-deficient Brattleboro rat pups, as well as in Wistar pups treated, neonatally, with the VP antagonist dP[Tyr(Me)2]VP followed by subsequent measurement of [3H]DNA in olfactory bulbs and cerebellum days and weeks thereafter. Results show, first of all, that the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA was enhanced in the homozygous (HOM) Brattleboro, when compared with the heterozygous (HET; non-vasopressin-deficient) controls. The difference is due to the greater and prolonged tissue availability of [3H]thymidine, possibly pointing to an altered thymidine uptake and/or metabolism. Between postnatal days 25 and 39 no differences were seen in [3H]DNA content of the brain parts of the HET and Wistar control rats. For the HOM rats, however, a loss of [3H]DNA was seen (up to 8%), indicating that increased postnatal brain cell death might occur in the mutant. The antagonist treatment in Wistar rat up to 21 days of age failed to show a similar effect. It is proposed that general growth impairments, rather than VP receptor-mediated effects, lead to the brain cell loss.
Boer
G J
GJ
Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Amsterdam.
Snijdewint
F G
FG
Licht
R
R
te Riele
P
P
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011910:Rats, Brattleboro; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D014316:Tritium
D014316:Tritium; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; C028888:argipressin, deaminopenicillamine(1)-O-methyl-Tyr(2)-; D004247:DNA; D013936:Thymidine