Open AccessArginine Vasopressin Immunoreactivity is Decreased in the Hypothalamic Suprachiasmatic Nucleus of Subjects with Suprasellar Tumors
Author(s) -
Borgers Anke J.,
Fliers Eric,
Siljee Jacqueline E.,
Swaab Dick F.,
Van Someren Eus J. W.,
Bisschop Peter H.,
Alkemade Anneke
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
brain pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.986
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1750-3639
pISSN - 1015-6305
DOI - 10.1111/bpa.12016
Subject(s) - suprachiasmatic nucleus , vasopressin , optic chiasm , vasoactive intestinal peptide , endocrinology , medicine , hypothalamus , median eminence , pituitary stalk , neuropeptide , pituitary adenoma , biology , pathology , optic nerve , pituitary gland , adenoma , neuroscience , hormone , receptor
Suprasellar tumors with compression of the optic chiasm are associated with an impaired sleep–wake rhythm. We hypothesized that this reflects a disorder of the biological clock of the human brain, the suprachiasmatic nucleus ( SCN ), which is located just above the optic chiasm. In order to test this hypothesis, we investigated the expression of two key neuropeptides of the SCN , that is, arginine vasopressin ( AVP ) and vasoactive intestinal peptide ( VIP ), as assessed by quantitative immunocytochemistry in post‐mortem hypothalamic tissue of patients with a suprasellar tumor inducing permanent visual field defects. Post‐mortem hypothalamic tissue of 5 patients with a suprasellar tumor inducing permanent visual field defects (acromegaly n = 2, nonfunctioning macro‐adenoma n = 1, macroprolactinoma n = 1, infundibular metastasis of a colorectal adenocarcinoma n = 1) and 15 age‐ and gender‐matched controls was obtained from the N etherlands Brain Bank. Total AVP immunoreactivity in the SCN was lower in patients with a suprasellar tumor than in controls ( P = 0.03). By contrast, total VIP immunoreactivity was not different between patients and controls ( P = 0.44). Suprasellar tumors leading to permanent visual field defects are associated with reduced AVP , but not VIP immunoreactivity, in the SCN . These findings raise the possibility that selective impairment of the SCN contributes to sleep–wake disturbances in these patients.