Argipressin(4-8) upregulate CTP: phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase in rat hippocampal neurons

In order to study the effect of argipressin(4-8)(AVP(4-8)) on the mRNA level and activity of cytidine triphosphate: phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase(CCT) in rat hippocampal neurons, and elucidate it's possible mechanism. Rat hippocampal neurons treated with AVP(4-8) or actinomycin D were incubated with different time periods. The mRNA level of CCT was detected using RT-PCR plus Southern blot, CCT activity was determined by measuring the rate of incorporation of (14)C - phosphocholine into cytidine diphosphate-choline(CDP-choline). It was found that AVP4-8 could upregulate the CCT mRNA in rat hippocampal neurons. ZDC(C)PR, the antagonist of AVP(4-8), could greatly inhibit this upregulation. Using actinomycin D to inhibite the eucaryotic transcription, it was found that the halflife of CCT mRNA could be prolonged by coincubation with AVP(4-8). Meanwhile, AVP(4-8) could also increase CCT activity in rat hippocampal neurons. These results demonstrated that AVP(4-8) upregulated CCT mRNA level and its activity through stabilizing the CCT mRNA in rat hippocampal neurons.