Vasupressin and the Endocrine Response To Stress

This paper highlights the role of vasopressin in the endocrine response to stress at various levels of regulation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system. Novel data arc presented regarding the interaction of vasopressin and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in rat anterior pituitary cells. In this system CRF-induced cyclic AMP synthesis is under feedback inhibition by intracellular free calcium. Vasopressin enhances the cyclic AMP response to CRF apparently by reducing the efficiency of calcium inhibition. As corticosteroid mediated inhibition of ACTH release is also mediated by a calcium-dependent process, these findings show a mechanism whereby vasopressin may change the set-point of glucocorticoid negative feedback at the pituitary level.