Vasopressin in Alzheimer's disease: A study of postmortem brain concentrations Journal Articles

abstract

• AbstractVasopressin (AVP) and its analogues are reported to improve learning‐ and memory‐related performance in experimental animals, and perhaps also in humans. Memory impairment is a clinical hallmark of the dementing disorder, Alzheimer's disease. We have examined AVP concentrations in postmortem brain tissue from 12 patients with histologically confirmed Alzheimer's disease and 13 control subjects. AVP was measured by a highly specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay, validated by parallel inhibition curves and high‐performance liquid chromatography. Alzheimer brains had either normal or slightly increased AVP levels in the neocortex, which does not have AVP cell bodies. Significant reductions in AVP content were found in the hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, and globus pallidus interna Levels were normal in all other regions studied. Abnormalities of the brain vasopressin system may contribute to the memory deficit associated with Alzheimer's disease.

authors

• Mazurek, Michael Francis
• Bed, M Flint
• Bird, Edward D
• Martin, Joseph B

status

• published 

publication date

• December 1986

has subject area

• 1103 Clinical Sciences (FoR)
• 1109 Neurosciences (FoR)
• Adult (MeSH)
• Aged (MeSH)
• Aged, 80 and over (MeSH)
• Alzheimer Disease (MeSH)
• Arginine Vasopressin (MeSH)
• Brain Chemistry (MeSH)
• Female (MeSH)
• Humans (MeSH)
• In Vitro Techniques (MeSH)
• Male (MeSH)
• Middle Aged (MeSH)
• Neurology & Neurosurgery (Science Metrix)
• Postmortem Changes (MeSH)
• Radioimmunoassay (MeSH)

published in

• Annals of Neurology  Journal

keywords

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Alzheimer Disease
• Arginine Vasopressin
• Brain Chemistry
• Female
• Humans
• In Vitro Techniques
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Postmortem Changes
• Radioimmunoassay

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1002/ana.410200603

PubMed ID

• 3813496

start page

• 665

end page

• 670

volume

• 20

issue

• 6