Hypothalamic dynorphin and vasopressin mRNA expression in normal and Brattleboro rats

Peptides derived from prodynorphin and provasopressin precursors coexist within neurosecretory vesicles of magnocellular neurons of the rat hypothalamus projecting to the posterior pituitary. The secretory activity of these neurons can be stimulated with physiological manipulations that elevate plasma levels of vasopressin (VP), such as dehydration and salt-loading. Evidence indicates that both VP- and prodynorphin-derived peptides are secreted under such conditions. With chronic osmotic challenge, the mRNAs for both prodynorphin and provasopressin increase in parallel in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus, and not within nonmagnocellular cell groups projecting elsewhere in the brain. The results indicate an example of coordinate regulation of mRNA expression for coexisting peptides within the brain. These results from microdissected tissues have been coupled with the more anatomically precise method of in situ hybridization histochemistry. Using 35S-radiolabeled synthetic oligonucleotides complementary to VP and dynorphin mRNAs, these mRNAs have been autoradiographically localized to magnocellular parikarya in the rat hypothalamus. Results also indicate that this technology can be used for regulatory studies, as evidenced by the increased hybridization of VP oligonucleotide to hypothalamic nuclei from salt-loaded rats.