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Attenuated stress-induced catecholamine release in mice lacking the vasopressin V_1b receptor

¹Research Institute of Pharmacological and Therapeutical Development; ²Department of Toxicology, Tokushima Research Institute, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Kagasuno, Tokushima; ³Department of Pharmacology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Okura, Tokyo; and ⁴Department of Genomic Drug Discovery Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan

Submitted 6 January 2006 ; accepted in final form 30 January 2006

Vasopressin V_1b receptor is specifically expressed in the pituitary and mediates adrenocorticotropin release, thereby regulating stress responses via its corticotropin releasing factor-like action. In the present study we examined catecholamine release in response to two types of stress in mice lacking the V_1b receptor gene (V_1bR^–/– mice) vs. wild-type mice. There were no significant differences in the basal plasma levels of catecholamines between the two genotypes. In response to stress induced by forced swimming, norepinephrine (NE), but not epinephrine (E) or dopamine (DA), was increased in wild-type mice, whereas the increases in NE and DA were not observed in V_1bR^–/– mice. In wild-type mice, E, but not NE or DA, was increased in response to social isolation stress, whereas the increase in E was not observed in V_1bR^–/– mice. These results suggest that the V_1b receptor regulates stress-induced catecholamine release. Because it has been suggested that arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is related to the development of depression, we also evaluated immobility time in the forced swimming test, and we found no significant change in V_1bR^–/– mice. Taken together, these findings suggest that, in addition to the previously elucidated effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, vasopressin activity via V_1b receptors regulates stress-induced catecholamine release.

V_1b receptor knockout mice; norepinephrine; epinephrine; dopamine; immobility time in the forced swimming test

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