title: Arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT) in fish brain: diurnal and seasonal variations.
abstract: An HPLC assay with solid-phase extraction and fluorescence derivatization was developed for measurement of arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT) in the neural tissues of fish. The efficiency and usefulness of the method have been verified in experiments by examination of peptides concentrations in brains of three fish species. The day-night changes in neuropeptides levels have been studied in brains of adult sea bream (Sparus aurata) and juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Seasonal fluctuations have been investigated in brains of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). The AVT and IT biosynthesis in brain seems to be controlled independently and probably each neuropeptide plays a different role in a circadian time-keeping system and an endocrine calendar in fish.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Oceanology of Polish Academy of Sciences, sw. Wojciecha 5 Str., 81-347 Gdynia, Poland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gozdowska
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kleszczyńska
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sokołowska
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kulczykowska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D012621:Seasons; D014668:Vasotocin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin; C008215:isotocin; D014668:Vasotocin