IDENTIFICATION OF ARGININE-VASOPRESSIN MESSENGER-RNA IN RAT AORTIC SMOOTH-MUSCLE CELLS

We investigated the expression of mRNA for arginine vasopressin in vas cular smooth muscle cells and A10 cells using reverse transcription-po lymerase chain reaction and Northern blot analysis. Arginine vasopress in mRNA was identified both in rat aortic smooth muscle cells and A10 cells, suggesting that arginine vasopressin is locally produced in vas cular smooth muscle cells, Arginine vasopressin, a potent vasoconstric tor, may modulate vascular function in an autocrine or paracrine fashi on. (C) 1997 Academic Press.