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Dendritic Release of Vasopressin and Oxytocin
Author(s) -
Mike Ludwig
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of neuroendocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1365-2826
pISSN - 0953-8194
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2826.1998.00279.x
Subject(s) - vasopressin , oxytocin , neuropeptide , supraoptic nucleus , neuroscience , postsynaptic potential , magnocellular cell , axon , biology , medicine , premovement neuronal activity , endocrinology , chemistry , receptor
In addition to the release of neurotransmitters from their axon terminals, several neuronal populations are able to release their products from their dendrites. The cell bodies and dendrites of vasopressin‐ and oxytocin‐producing neurones are mainly located within the hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei and neuropeptide release within the magnocellular nuclei has been shown in vitro and in vivo . Local release is induced by a range of physiological and pharmacological stimuli, and is regulated by a number of brain areas; locally released peptides are mainly involved in pre‐ and postsynaptic modulation of the electrical activity of magnocellular neurones. Spatial and temporal differences between peptide release within the nuclei and that from the distant axonal varicosities indicate that the release mechanisms are at least partially independent, supporting the hypothesis of locally regulated dendritic release of vasopressin and oxytocin. In this respect, magnocellular neurones show similarities to other neuronal populations and thus autoregulation of neuronal activity by dendritic neuromodulator release may be a general phenomenon within the brain.