Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is known to be involved in maintaining glucose homeostasis, and AVP-resistance is observed in poorly controlled non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus subjects, resulting in a lowered plasma volume. Recently we reported that V1a vasopressin receptor-deficient (V1aR ؊/؊ ) mice exhibited a decreased circulating blood volume and hypermetabolism of fat accompanied with impaired insulin-signaling. Here we further investigated the roles of the AVP/V1a receptor in regulating glucose homeostasis and plasma volume using V1aR؊/؊ mice. The plasma glucose levels at the baseline or during a glucose tolerance test were higher in V1aR ؊/؊ than wild-type (WT) mice. Moreover, a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp revealed that the glucose infusion rate was significantly lower in V1aR ؊/؊ mice than in WT mice and that hepatic glucose production was higher in V1aR ؊/؊ mice than WT mice. In contrast to the increased hepatic glucose production, the liver glycogen content was decreased in the mutant mice. These results indicated that the mutant mice had impaired glucose tolerance. Furthermore, feeding V1aR ؊/؊ mice a high-fat diet accompanied by increased calorie intake resulted in significantly overt obesity in comparison with WT mice. In addition, we found that the circulating plasma volume and aldosterone level were decreased in V1aR ؊/؊ mice, although the plasma AVP level was increased. These results suggested that the effect of AVP on water recruitment was disturbed in V1aR ؊/؊ mice. Thus, we demonstrated that one of the AVP-resistance conditions resulting from deficiency of the V1a receptor leads to decreased plasma volume as well as impaired glucose homeostasis, which can progress to obesity under conditions of increased calorie intake. (Endocrinology 148: 2075-2084, 2007)A RGININE-VASOPRESSIN (AVP) is a neuropeptide hormone that is involved in diverse functions, including the regulation of osmotic homeostasis, vasoconstriction, and ACTH release. These physiological effects are mediated by three types of AVP receptors, designated as V1a, V1b, and V2 (1-3). The V1a receptor is widely expressed, whereas the V1b and V2 receptors are predominantly expressed in the anterior pituitary and the kidney, respectively (1-4). The functional role of the V1a receptor is considered to mediate vascular contraction (5), cellular proliferation (6), platelet aggregation (7), and glycogenolysis (1, 8). The V1b receptor stimulates ACTH and insulin release (9, 10). Both V1a and V1b receptors bind to the Gq protein and act through phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis to mobilize intercellular Ca 2ϩ (11,12). The V2 receptor is coupled with the Gs protein and stimulates adenylate cyclase to increase cellular cAMP, which results in the induction of an antidiuretic effect in the kidney (13).There have been several reports indicating the involvement of AVP in regulating the plasma glucose homeostasis. The plasma AVP level was increased in patients with insulindependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or non-IDDM (NIDDM) (14, 15), and treati...

[Arg8]Vasopressin (AVP) has an antilipolytic action on adipocytes, but little is known about the mechanisms involved. Here, we examined the involvement of the V1a receptor in the antilipolytic effect of AVP using V1a receptor-deficient (V1aR-/-) mice. The levels of blood glycerol were increased in V1aR-/- mice. The levels of ketone bodies, such as acetoacetic acid and 3-hydroxybutyric acid, the products of the lipid metabolism, were increased in V1aR-/- mice under a fasting condition. Triacylglyceride and free fatty acid levels in blood were decreased in V1aR-/- mice. Furthermore, measurements with tandem mass spectrometry determined that carnitine and acylcarnitines in serum, the products of beta-oxidation, were increased in V1aR-/- mice. Most acylcarnitines were increased in V1aR-/- mice, especially in the case of 2-carbon (C2), C10:1, C10, C14:1, C16, C18:1, and hydroxy-18:1-carbon (OH-C18:1)-acylcarnitines under feeding rather than under fasting conditions. The analysis of tissue C2-acylcarnitine level showed that beta-oxidation was promoted in muscle under the feeding condition and in liver under the fasting condition. An in vitro assay using brown adipocytes showed that the cells of V1aR-/- mice were more sensitive to isoproterenol for lipolysis. These results suggest that the lipid metabolism is enhanced in V1aR-/- mice. The cAMP level was enhanced in V1aR-/- mice in response to isoproterenol. The phosphorylation of Akt by insulin stimulation was reduced in V1aR-/- mice. These results suggest that insulin signaling is suppressed in V1aR-/- mice. In addition, the total bile acid, taurine, and cholesterol levels in blood were increased, and an enlargement of the cholecyst was observed in V1aR-/- mice. These results indicated that the production of bile acid was enhanced by the increased level of cholesterol and taurine. Therefore, these results indicated that AVP could modulate the lipid metabolism by the antilipolytic action and the synthesis of bile acid via the V1a receptor.

We have reported that [Arg 8 ]-vasopressin-stimulated insulin release is blunted in islet cells isolated from V1b receptor-deficient (V1bR−/− ) mice. In this study, we used V1bR −/− mice to examine the physiological role of the V1b receptor in regulating blood glucose levels in vivo, and we found that the fasting plasma glucose, insulin and glucagon levels were lower in V1bR −/− mice than in wild-type (V1bR +/+ ) mice. Next, we evaluated glucose tolerance by performing an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (GTT). The plasma glucose and insulin levels during the GTT were lower in V1bR −/− mice than in V1bR +/+ mice. An insulin tolerance test (ITT) revealed that, after insulin administration, plasma glucose levels were lower in V1bR −/− mice than in V1bR +/+ mice. In addition, a hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp study showed that the glucose infusion rate was increased in V1bR −/− mice, indicating that insulin sensitivity was enhanced at the in vivo level in V1bR −/− mice. Furthermore, we found that the V1b receptor was expressed in white adipose tissue and that insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of Akt as an important signaling molecule was increased in adipocytes isolated from V1bR −/− mice. Thus, the blockade of the V1b receptor could result, at least in part, in enhanced insulin sensitivity by altering insulin signalling in adipocytes.

Background and Aims. The purpose of the present study was to examine the efficacy of transplantation of mouse embryonic-stem-(ES)-cell-derived tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH

To investigate the effects of diesel exhaust (DE) particles on the reproductive system, male Fischer 344 rats at 13 mo of age were exposed to clean air or DE at particle concentrations of 0.3, 1, or 3 mg/m3 for 8 mo. DE did not markedly affect testicular and body weights. However, DE at 0.3 mg/m3 significantly decreased prostate and coagulating gland weights, accompanied by a reduction in thymus and adrenal gland weight. In contrast, there was a significant rise in the weights of prostate, seminal vesicles, and coagulating glands in the 3 mg/m3 DE group. In rats exposed to 0.3 or 1 mg/m3 DE, serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone increased significantly, while a rise in testicular testosterone was noted with 3 mg/m3 DE. The concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and inhibin as well as the sperm head counts were not markedly altered in any treatment group. Positive staining with inhibin-alpha subunit and 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) were observed in Sertoli cells and Leydig cells, respectively. Immunolocalization of inhibin-alpha subunit and 3beta-HSD was not changed by exposure to DE. In conclusion, DE appears to exert greater effects on accessory glands than on testes in Fischer 344 rats, and the responsiveness of rats is less than that found in mice.

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A. Blockade of both ␣ 1A-and ␣1B-adrenergic receptor subtype signaling is required to inhibit neointimal formation in the mouse femoral artery.

Cough elicitation and major physiological factors influencing cough occurrence were investigated in congenitally bronchial-hypersensitive (BHS) and -hyposensitive (BHR) guinea pigs exposed to citric acid (0.3 M) aerosol for 10 min. The number of cough in BHS was significantly larger than in BHR, while the latency to cough in BHS was significantly shorter than in BHR. Pretreatment with atropine (0.2%), lidocaine (2%) or salbutamol (0.1%) aerosol and desensitization of C-fibers with capsaicin (100 mg/kg) decreased the cough numbers in both BHS and BHR. The salbutamol, atropine and capsaicin pretreatments prolonged the cough latency in BHS, but only salbutamol prolonged the latency in BHR. After salbutamol pretreatment all BHR guinea pigs exhibited cough, while 66.7% of BHS guinea pigs exhibited it. Vagal blocking by atropine suppressed coughing in both BHS and BHR. Only a small number (33.3%) of BHR guinea pigs and no BHR guinea pigs exhibited a cough response after capsaicin and lidocaine pretreatment whereas many BHS guinea pigs still produced cough after such pretreatment. The present study demonstrated that the cough responsiveness to citric acid aerosol was significantly higher in BHS than in BHR. It was revealed that airway smooth muscle contraction and functional and/or morphological development of airway nervous receptors, especially C-fiber endings, contributed to aggravation of coughing in BHS.