Patterns of neurohypophysial hormone secretion and changes in the hormone content of the hypothalamus and posterior pituitary lobe were monitored in the male rat for cycles of 24 h in association with changes in food and water intake and fluid excretion. Plasma oxytocin and vasopressin concentrations were seen to rise significantly over the hours of daylight, decreasing during the night. Parallel changes were seen in the immunoreactive material in the hypothalamus, whilst the content of the neurohypophysis was inversely related to plasma concentrations. The ratio of plasma oxytocin:vasopressin reached a significant peak at about 02.00 h which might be related to the feeding activity of the rats, food and water intake being largely confined to the night, as was fluid excretion. On exposure to constant light, despite initial disruption hormonal rhythms were still seen but showed a phase shift. The relationships between plasma and tissue levels were maintained. Patterns of food and water intake and urinary excretion were little affected by exposure to constant light, remaining largely confined to the former night phase. The hormonal rhythms appeared to be more closely related to the activity of the rats, which also showed a phase shift during constant light.

Melatonin injected in a single intraperitoneal dose of 100 micrograms/100 g b.w. to euhydrated rats resulted in a decrease of neurohypophysial oxytocin content but the hypothalamic oxytocin storage as well as the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial storage of vasopressin were not changed. Following 8 d of once-daily melatonin treatment the hypothalamic and neurohypophysial oxytocin and vasopressin content was decreased. It might be therefore suggested that melatonin increases the release of neurohypophysial hormones and/or decreases their synthesis. Melatonin did not significantly modify the neurohypophysial vasopressin depletion rate in animals deprived of water up to 8 days. No consistent effects of melatonin on the decrease of hypothalamo-neurohypophysial content of oxytocin were noted under conditions of dehydration and simultaneous administration of melatonin up to 8 d.

Experiments were performed to test a possible role of (6 J R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-a-biopterin dihydrochloride (BH4) in the neurohypophysial vasopressin and oxytocin content in euhydrated and dehydrated rats. Chronic treatment with BH4, administered to not dehydrated animals, was followed by a significant decrease of neurohypophysial vasopressin, but not of neurohypophysial oxytocin. In dehydrated animals the neurohypophysial vasopressin content decreased progressively; this process was not affected significantly by BH4. In rats dehydrated and treated simultaneously with BH4 the decrease of neurohypophysial oxytocin content was distinctly less marked.

The effect of melatonin as well as pinealectomy on the basal and K(+)-evoked release of vasopressin and oxytocin from the neurointermediate lobes in vitro was determined. Pineal removal resulted in a diminution of vasopressin and oxytocin release from the neurointermediate lobes in vitro. Melatonin (10(-3) or 10(-6) M/l) increased vasopressin and oxytocin release from neurointermediate lobes of sham-operated rats. Nevertheless, when pinealectomized rats served as donors of the neurointermediate lobes, melatonin (10(-3) or 10(-6) M/l) increased vasopressin release under basal conditions. For the same tissue, melatonin did not affect the oxytocin release either under basal conditions or during depolarization due to excess potassium. When 10(-7) M/l melatonin was used, no changes in either vasopressin or oxytocin release were observed in vitro.

No abstract