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Neurobiology of Oxytocin pp 55–90Cite as

Proteolytic Conversion of Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Related Peptides in the Brain

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Part of the book series: Current Topics in Neuroendocrinology ((CT NEUROENDOCRI,volume 6))

Abstract

The nonapeptides oxytocin and vasopressin (arginine-vasopressin or lysine-vasopressin) have dual functions: they are hormones in the periphery and neuropeptides in the brain. As hormones they serve the organism by controlling peripheral functions, e.g., maintenance of water balance and blood pressure, and participate in parturition and lactation. As neuropeptides they play a role in the regulation of memory processes (De Wied 1965, 1971, 1976, 1980, 1983), body temperature (Cooper et al. 1979; Veale et al. 1981; Kasting et al. 1980), blood pressure (Versteeg et al. 1983; Feuerstein et al. 1984), brain development (Boer et al. 1980; Boer 1984), maternal behavior (Pedersen and Prange 1979; Pedersen et al. 1982), sexual behavior (Bohus 1977; Södersten et al. 1983), and development of tolerance and addiction to narcotic drugs (Van Ree and De Wied 1981; Van Ree 1982; Hoffman 1982). In addition, they may have paracrine functions in peripheral tissues such as the ovary, testis, and adrenal gland (Wathes and Swann 1982; Nicholson et al. 1984; Ang and Jenkins 1984; Lim et al. 1984).

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  1. Rudolf Magnus Institute for Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, Rijksuniversity of Utrecht, Vondellaan 6, 3521 GD, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    J. P. H. Burbach

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  1. Pharmakologisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 6900, Heidelberg, Germany

    Detlev Ganten M.D., Ph.D.

  2. Rockefeller University, York Avenue, and 66th Street, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Donald Pfaff Ph.D.

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Burbach, J.P.H. (1986). Proteolytic Conversion of Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Related Peptides in the Brain. In: Ganten, D., Pfaff, D. (eds) Neurobiology of Oxytocin. Current Topics in Neuroendocrinology, vol 6. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70414-7_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70414-7_3

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