M. Duboisdauphin et al., VASOPRESSIN RECEPTORS IN THE MOUSE (MUS MUSCULUS) BRAIN - SEX-RELATEDEXPRESSION IN THE MEDIAL PREOPTIC AREA AND HYPOTHALAMUS, Brain research, 743(1-2), 1996, pp. 32-39
We have investigated the distribution of vasopressin binding sites in
the brain of male and female adult mice using a radio-iodinated ligand
and film autoradiography. Vasopressin receptors were uncovered in var
ious regions of the brain including the basal nucleus of Meynert, the
substantia innominata, the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, the s
ubstantia nigra pars compacta and the hypoglossal nucleus. A sex-relat
ed difference in the expression of vasopressin receptors was seen in t
he medial preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus corresponding to the rat
sexually dimorphic nucleus in the rat and in the hypothalamic mammill
ary nuclei. In both structures the autoradiographic labeling is more i
ntense in females than in males. These observations confirm that vasop
ressin binding sites are present in the hypothalamic preoptic area of
most species examined so far and that sex-related expression of neurop
eptide receptors could trigger sex-related behavioral differences.