title: Regulation of the avian kidney by arginine vasotocin.
abstract: Nonapeptides secreted by the neurohypophysis have important roles in vertebrate cardio-fluid homeostasis. In birds, those peptides include mesotocin (the representative of the neutral, or oxytocin-like, nonapeptide family) and vasotocin (the representative of the basic, or vasopressin-like, hormones). The function of mesotocin is not well defined, but it does appear to have osmoregulatory functions. Vasotocin is considered the primary avian antidiuretic hormone. Receptors for AVT in avian kidney-either on renal vasculature or on the tubules-have yet to be localized or identified. However, AVT quite certainly effects antidiuresis via both vascular and tubular mechanisms. The former entail a reduction in the rate of glomerular filtration, apparently via constriction of afferent arterioles. Evidence for the latter (direct tubular action of AVT) has accumulated in recent years and includes enhanced fractional tubular water reabsorption, activation of second messenger (cAMP) in thick ascending limbs and collecting ducts, and modest AVT-stimulated water permeability in collecting ducts associated with expression of aquaporins. The relative importance of the renal vascular vs. tubular actions in birds likely depend on the dose of the hormone, the physiological condition of the animal, and the species of bird.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA. david.goldstein@wright.edu
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D020346:Aquaporins / Q000378:metabolism; D001717:Birds / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D007684:Kidney Tubules / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin / Q000378:metabolism; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000187:drug effects; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000502:physiology; D014554:Urination / Q000187:drug effects; D014668:Vasotocin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D020346:Aquaporins; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin; C034862:vasotocin receptor; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D014668:Vasotocin