Abstract An angiotensin I-like immunoreactive substance (AI) was evidenced by a radioimmunoassay technique in the rat brain. The concentration of AI was significantly greater in the pineal tissue as compared to the hypothalamic or cerebral cortex tissue (p less than 0.001); its concentration was also higher in the pineal of the homozygous rats with hereditary diabetes insipidus (Brattleboro strain) as compared to the same tissue of the normal rats

Abstract Previous studies suggest that the pineal gland may play a role in tumour growth inhibition. In this respect, melatonin, as the major hormone of this gland, has been extensively studied. However, there is growing evidence for the existence of other yet unknown pineal factors that may have tumour growth inhibiting properties. Here we describe the partial purification of a highly cytotoxic low molecular weight (

Abstract Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is the main antidiuretic hormone in mammals and arginine vasotocin (AVT) in submammalian vertebrates. The possibility that the genetic material encoding AVT is maintained in mammals is controversial. In this study, we investigated by radioactive in situ hybridization the possible presence of the mRNA encoding AVP and AVT, and using immunocytochemistry the presence of structures immunoreactive for AVP and AVT in