Comparison of adrenocorticotropin control in brattleboro, long-evans, and wistar rats: Measurement of corticotropin-releasing factor, arginine vasopressin, and oxytocin in hypophysial portal blood

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the control of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and corticosterone secretion in homozygous Brattleboro rats with their syngeneic controls, Long-Evans rats, and with rats of the Wistar strain. Plasma concentrations of ACTH and corticosterone were measured by radioimmunoassay in trunk blood, and corticotropin-releasing factor 41 (CRF-41), arginine vasopressin (AVP), and oxytocin were assayed in hypophysial portal vessel blood. Portal plasma was extracted with methanol for CRF-41 determination, and four different antisera and several different high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems were used to investigate AVP release. The peripheral plasma conc..