Oxytocin and Vasopressin in the hippocampus
Oxytocin (OXT) and Vasopressin (AVP) are Neuropeptides with significant impacts on health, homeostasis, development, reproduction, adaptability, cognition, and social behaviors. Originating primarily from the Hypothalamus, these peptides function through OXT and AVP receptors, part of the G protein-coupled receptor family, widely present throughout the body and notably in the Hippocampus. This brain region, crucial for memory and vulnerable to stress and damage, is significantly influenced by OXT and AVP in aspects such as neuronal excitability, network oscillatory activity, synaptic Plasticity, and social recognition memory.
The chapter provides a comprehensive overview of OXT and AVP, including their structure, synthesis, receptor distribution, and functions, with a focus on their interactions with the hippocampus and effects on hippocampal activity. It also touches on the hippocampus’s structure and its susceptibility to lesions. Furthermore, the roles of OXT and AVP in neurodevelopment, central nervous system function, and neuropsychiatric disorders are examined, underscoring their potential as targeted therapeutic tools.
Oxytocin and vasopressin
Oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP), also called antidiuretic hormone (ADH), are highly homologous neuropeptides found in a wide range of organisms, principally in mammals. These neuropeptides have vasotocin as a common predecessor in submammalian species, and various oxytocin-like peptides as predecessors in invertebrates (Murphy, Si-Hoe, Brenner, & Venkatesh, 1998). OXT and AVP are produced mostly in the hypothalamic secretory neurons of the supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular
Hippocampus
Hippocampus represents a fundamental neurobiological structure for learning and memory, cognitive and emotional functions. The hippocampus is a brain region with high neuronal network activity and plasticity, that is highly vulnerable to various disruptive events such as hypoxia/ischemia, seizures, head trauma, chronic severe stress, and degenerative processes. This vulnerability is associated with excitatory neurotransmitter overstimulation, high intracellular calcium and long-lasting calpain
Role of oxytocin and vasopressin in neurodevelopment
Important roles for OXT and AVP have been recently revealed suggesting their essential involvement in brain development. Alteration of OXTergic and AVPergic signaling during the early stages of development could impact brain programming and lead to short- and long-term consequences.
Roles of oxytocin and vasopressin in the adult hippocampus
The hippocampus has recently emerged as one of the brain structures with a particularly high sensitivity to OXT and AVP. Firstly, OXT signaling in the dorsal hippocampus has been shown to play a role in the mitigation of stress-induced neuroendocrine and behavioral responses (Cohen et al., 2010). In the hippocampus, which contains the highest amount of Glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoid receptors, OXT can down-regulate these Receptors, modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis
Conclusion
The hippocampal functions are influenced by the neuropeptides OXT and AVP. OXT- and AVP-expressing fibers are present throughout the dorsoventral axis of the hippocampus, predominantly originating from the hypothalamus, but also from extrahypothalamic regions. OXT and AVP receptors have a robust distribution at the hippocampal level, especially in the CA2 region, where they exert modulatory effects on synaptic transmission and influence a plethora of processes including regulation of social
see also
Tags: neurobiology science
Superlink: 051 ☣Neurobiology 050 🧠Neuroscience
Hippocampus
Oxytocin
Vasopressin
Source
Ana-Maria Zagrean, Ioana-Antoaneta Georgescu, Mara Ioana Iesanu, Rosana-Bristena Ionescu, Robert Mihai Haret, Anca Maria Panaitescu, Leon Zagrean,
Chapter Three - Oxytocin and vasopressin in the hippocampus,
Editor(s): Gerald Litwack,
Vitamins and Hormones,
Academic Press,
Volume 118,
2022,
Pages 83-127,
ISSN 0083-6729,
ISBN 9780323992213,
https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.vh.2021.11.002.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0083672921000704)
Created: 14-10-24 15:23