pituitrin and Substance-Related-Disorders

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) are social hormones and mediate affiliative behaviors in mammals and as recently demonstrated, also in humans. There is intense interest in how these simple nonapeptides mediate normal and abnormal behavior, especially regarding disorders of the social brain such as autism that are characterized by deficits in social communication and social skills. The current review examines in detail the behavioral genetics of the first level of human AVP-OXT pathway genes including arginine vasopressin 1a receptor (AVPR1a), oxytocin receptor (OXTR), AVP (AVP-neurophysin II [NPII]) and OXT (OXT neurophysin I [NPI]), oxytocinase/vasopressinase (LNPEP), ADP-ribosyl cyclase (CD38) and arginine vasopressin 1b receptor (AVPR1b). Wherever possible we discuss evidence from a variety of research tracks including molecular genetics, imaging genomics, pharmacology and endocrinology that support the conclusions drawn from association studies of social phenotypes and detail how common polymorphisms in AVP-OXT pathway genes contribute to the behavioral hard wiring that enables individual Homo sapiens to interact successfully with conspecifics. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior.

Topics: ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1; Animals; Autistic Disorder; Dancing; Feeding Behavior; Gene Expression; Genomics; Humans; Microsatellite Repeats; Music; Oxytocin; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Receptors, Oxytocin; Receptors, Vasopressin; Retinoids; Social Behavior; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins

We present a case of acute, symptomatic hyponatremia in a young woman that developed after use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA), more commonly known as "ecstasy." The patient was treated with 5% saline and had complete recovery. The pathogenesis of MDMA-associated hyponatremia involves excessive water intake and inappropriately elevated antidiuretic hormone (ADH) levels. It seems that young, premenopausal women are at particularly high risk for the development of severe, symptomatic hyponatremia after use of this drug. Review of the literature revealed 4 fatal outcomes from MDMA-associated hyponatremia. All were women and all died from cerebellar tonsillar herniation. We suggest that acute hyponatremia that develops after MDMA use may be a life-threatening condition. Recent recommendation that MDMA users should drink large volumes of water may not be appropriate.

Topics: Adolescent; Female; Humans; Hyponatremia; N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; Sodium Chloride; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins

Topics: Animals; Anticonvulsants; Antipsychotic Agents; Depressive Disorder; Drug Therapy, Combination; Endorphins; Enkephalins; Humans; Mental Disorders; Naloxone; Naltrexone; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Pituitary Hormones; Psychotropic Drugs; Schizophrenia; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins

Topics: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Alcoholism; Animals; Drug Tolerance; Ethanol; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Growth Hormone; Humans; Luteinizing Hormone; Male; Mice; Oxytocin; Pituitary Hormones; Pregnancy; Rats; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins

Topics: Alcoholism; Animals; Barbiturates; Drug Tolerance; Ethanol; Humans; Morphine; Morphine Dependence; Narcotics; Neurophysins; Oxytocin; Peptides; Pituitary Hormones, Posterior; Psychotropic Drugs; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins

Topics: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Analgesia; Animals; Avoidance Learning; beta-Lipotropin; C-Peptide; Drug Tolerance; Humans; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Learning; Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones; Memory; Motivation; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Peptides; Pituitary Hormones; Sleep; Structure-Activity Relationship; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins

Topics: Animals; Autistic Disorder; Biological Evolution; Brain Chemistry; Cognition; Humans; Maternal Behavior; Oxytocin; Receptor Cross-Talk; Receptors, Oxytocin; Receptors, Vasopressin; Social Behavior; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins

Topics: Bulimia; Central Nervous System; Cocaine; Cognition; Ethanol; Female; Humans; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Neuropsychological Tests; Pregnancy; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins

The effect of the vasopressin neuropeptide desglycinamide9, (Arg8) vasopressin (DGAVP) on the acquisition of intravenous cocaine self-administration was studied. Rats were tested under conditions of reduced body weight in a continuous reinforcement operant procedure, during five daily 3 h sessions. Under these conditions, the rate of self-administration obtained with 0.125 and 0.25, but not 0.063 mg.ml-1 cocaine, exceeded the rate obtained with saline. Daily pretreatment with DGAVP (5 micrograms/rat, s.c.) decreased self-administration of 0.125 and 0.25 mg.ml-1 cocaine to the level obtained with saline, but had no effect on self-administration of 0.063 mg.ml-1 cocaine and saline. Using a similar procedure, it was shown that daily intracerebroventricular pretreatment with vasopressin antiserum significantly increased self-administration of 0.125 mg.ml-1 cocaine, without affecting self-administration of 0.063 and 0.25 mg.ml-1 cocaine and saline. The results support previous findings obtained with vasopressin neuropeptides in drug self-administration studies and suggest that DGAVP decreases the acquisition of cocaine self-administration by attenuating the reinforcing effects of cocaine and that endogenous vasopressin may be involved in the acquisition of cocaine self-administration.

Topics: Animals; Antigen-Antibody Reactions; Arginine Vasopressin; Cocaine; Immunologic Techniques; Male; Rats; Self Administration; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins

Evidence exists to suggest that there are neurochemical responses common to the development of tolerance to and dependence on a variety of psychoactive drugs. Experimental data indicates that pituitary peptides such as corticotropin and vasopressin, in addition to the endorphins, influence the development of physical dependence on either morphine or ethanol. If these findings are supported by further investigations with human subjects, various manipulations of pituitary-adrenal function, such as the administration of corticotropin and vasopressin analogs or drugs such as dexamethasone, may prove to be of clinical utility.

Topics: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Animals; Dexamethasone; Drug Tolerance; Ethanol; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Models, Biological; Morphine; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Rats; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins

Topics: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Alcoholism; Animals; Endorphins; Enkephalins; Humans; Memory; Mice; Rats; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins

Topics: Animals; Humans; Memory; Oxytocin; Rats; Self Stimulation; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins

Topics: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Animals; Barbiturates; Body Weight; Drinking Behavior; Electroshock; Humans; Male; Rats; Seizures; Stress, Physiological; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins

Comprehensive one-day renal function tests in 20 patients with a history of analgesic abuse showed varying degrees of chronic renal failure in all. There was no evidence of a selective defect in proximal tubular function, while a defective concentrating mechanism, usually considered necessary for the diagnosis of analgesic-induced renal damage, could be demonstrated in only 16 patients. A urinary acidification defect associated with a concentrating defect was found in nine cases and was thought to reflect specific collecting duct dysfunction. Urinary ammonium excretion was reduced in 13 subjects, owing to a reduced number of functioning nephrons or inadequate acidification, or both. Low citrate excretion was frequently encountered, and this, as well as defective urinary acidification, may play some part in predisposing patients with analgesic nephropathy to intrarenal calcification and progressive renal failure.

Topics: Acid-Base Equilibrium; Acute Kidney Injury; Adult; Aged; Analgesics; Citrates; Creatinine; Female; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Humans; Kidney Concentrating Ability; Kidney Function Tests; Male; Middle Aged; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins

Topics: Adult; Aged; Anemia, Hemolytic; Anemia, Hypochromic; Anemia, Sideroblastic; Aspirin; Blood Urea Nitrogen; Creatinine; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Hematuria; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Male; Middle Aged; Phenacetin; Pyelonephritis; Radioisotope Renography; Scotland; Substance-Related Disorders; Uremia; Urinary Tract Infections; Urine; Urography; Vasopressins

Topics: Brain; Electroencephalography; Humans; Seizures; Substance-Related Disorders; Vasopressins