title: Presence and interaction in tissues of atrial natriuretic peptide, oxytocin and vasopressin: new insights.
abstract: Atrial natriuretic peptide, oxytocin and vasopressin are three well known and widely studied molecules since many years. They have been fully characterised from a genetic and biomolecular point of view and a number of receptor-dependent functions have been recognised for them. Nevertheless, in the last years our group has conducted morphologic studies, using an immunohistochemical approach complemented by molecular biology techniques, and could show non-canonical localization and co-localization of these peptides in normal and pathologic tissues, that permitted us to postulate that they may be involved in a wider range of functions than usually assumed and not yet fully understood. In this minireview we summarise some of the main results that open new scenarios in the comprehension of the biologic activities of these peptides and allow to postulate a role for them as diagnostic tools.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina Sperimentale e Neuroscienze Cliniche, Sezione di Anatomia Umana, University of Palermo, Italy. bigvalentino@libero.it
authors.forename: Biagio
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Valentino
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peri
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lipari
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valentino
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cappello
authors.forename: Elvira Farina
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Lipari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide; D014667:Vasopressins; D010121:Oxytocin; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor