Vasopressin released in the central nervous system has been shown to be inv
olved both in homeostatic mechanisms (e.g., water balance, thermoregulation
, cardiovascular regulation, metabolism, and antinociception) and in higher
brain functions (e.g., social recognition and communication, and learning
and memory). Many nuclear groups have been proposed to synthesize vasopress
in, but available data are conflicting. We have used a sensitive in situ hy
bridization technique to identify the distribution of the neurons that may
be the origin of the vasopressin in the central nervous system of the male
Sprague-Dawley rat. Vasopressin mRNA-expressing neurons were most abundant
in the hypothalamus (e.g., the paraventricular, supraoptic, and suprachiasm
atic nuclei) but were also seen in the medial amygdaloid nucleus, the bed n
ucleus of stria terminalis, and the nucleus of the horizontal diagonal band
. Previously unreported vasopressinergic neurons were seen in the entorhina
l and piriform cortices, the ventral lateral portion of the parabrachial nu
cleus, the pedunculopontine nucleus, and the rostral part of the ventral pe
riaqueductal gray matter and the adjacent portion of the mesencephalic reti
cular nucleus. Vasopressin mRNA expression suggestive of neuronal labeling
was seen in the pyramidal layer of the CA1-3 fields and the dentate gyrus o
f the hippocampus. In addition, vasopressin mRNA expression, probably repre
senting axonal mRNA, was detected over the hypothalamopituitary tract. No o
r insignificant preprovasopressin mRNA expression was present in the cerebe
llum, locus coeruleus, subcoeruleus, or the spinal cord. These findings pro
vide novel information on the distribution of vasopressin neurons that are
important for our understanding of how vasopressin acts in the brain. (C) 1
999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.