Gene expression in the supraoptic nucleus. |
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Authors: | Yoichi Ueta Andrew Levy Stafford L Lightman |
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Affiliation: | Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu 807-8555, Japan. yoichi@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp |
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Abstract: | The magnocellular neurosecretory cells (MNCs) in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) express multiple kinds of genes, including not only the classical hormones arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT), but also other physiologically active substances including neuropeptides, their receptors, and nitric oxide (NO) synthase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of NO under physiological condition. For example, osmotic stimuli such as dehydration and chronic salt loading cause a wide range of changes of the expression levels of the genes and marked induction of the expression of the genes in the SON. The expression of the NO synthase gene in the SON under physiological conditions is reviewed. |
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Keywords: | vasopressin oxytocin neuropeptides nitric oxide synthase in situ hybridization histochemistry |
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