conducted

DEFINITION:

Having been transferred or conveyed (such as sound waves, heat, nervous impulses, or electricity).

receptor

DEFINITION:

1. A molecular structure within a cell or on the surface characterized by (1) selective binding of a specific substance and (2) a specific physiologic effect that accompanies the binding, e.g., membrane receptors for peptide hormones, neurotransmitters, antigens, complement fragments, and immunoglobulins and nuclear receptors for steroid hormones.

2. A sensory nerve terminal that responds to stimuli of various kinds; classified in various ways including by the type of stimulus and by the location in the body.

V2 receptor - The structure to which the antidiuretic hormone, arginine vasopressin binds.

mediates

DEFINITION:

Accomplishes indirectly; accomplishes by the aid of an intervening medium.

oxytocin

DEFINITION:

1. An octapeptide, one of the major hormones made in the magnocellular hypothalamic neurons and stored in the posterior lobe of the pituitary, the other being vasopressin. It has uterine-contracting and milk-ejecting actions. It contributes to the second stage of labor.
2. The same oxytocic principle obtained synthetically or from the posterior pituitary of domestic animals, prepared in accordance with USP standards; it is administered intramuscularly or by intravenous infusion to induce active labor, increase the force of contractions in labor, contract uterine muscle after delivery of the placenta, control postpartum hemorrhage, and stimulate milk ejection.

osmotic water permeability

DEFINITION:

The ability to channel water across a membrane in response to a concentration gradient.

inner medullary collecting duct

DEFINITION:

The distal part of the renal tubule, including the loop of Henle, lying within the medulla.

IMCD

DEFINITION:

Inner medullary collecting duct.

RT-PCR

DEFINITION:

Acronym for reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction technique.

mRNA

DEFINITION:

Messenger RNA. RNA molecules, usually 400 to 10,000 bases long, that serve as templates for protein synthesis (translation); in eukaryotes they have characteristic posttranscriptional modifications, the 5'-cap and poly A tail. The base sequence of an mRNA transcript completely specifies the corresponding polypeptide amino acid sequence.

V2 receptor

DEFINITION:

See under receptor .

IMCD

DEFINITION:

Inner medullary collecting duct.

antagonists

DEFINITION:

1. Muscles whose actions are the direct opposite of that of other muscles.

oxytocin

DEFINITION:

1. An octapeptide, one of the major hormones made in the magnocellular hypothalamic neurons and stored in the posterior lobe of the pituitary, the other being vasopressin. It has uterine-contracting and milk-ejecting actions. It contributes to the second stage of labor.
2. The same oxytocic principle obtained synthetically or from the posterior pituitary of domestic animals, prepared in accordance with USP standards; it is administered intramuscularly or by intravenous infusion to induce active labor, increase the force of contractions in labor, contract uterine muscle after delivery of the placenta, control postpartum hemorrhage, and stimulate milk ejection.

selective

DEFINITION:

Having a high degree of selectivity.

agonist

DEFINITION:

1. In anatomy, a prime mover.

2. In pharmacology, a drug that has affinity for and stimulateS physiologic activity at cell receptors normally stimulated by naturally occurring substances.

water permeability

DEFINITION:

The property or state of being permeable to water.

oxytocin

DEFINITION:

1. An octapeptide, one of the major hormones made in the magnocellular hypothalamic neurons and stored in the posterior lobe of the pituitary, the other being vasopressin. It has uterine-contracting and milk-ejecting actions. It contributes to the second stage of labor.
2. The same oxytocic principle obtained synthetically or from the posterior pituitary of domestic animals, prepared in accordance with USP standards; it is administered intramuscularly or by intravenous infusion to induce active labor, increase the force of contractions in labor, contract uterine muscle after delivery of the placenta, control postpartum hemorrhage, and stimulate milk ejection.

IMCD

DEFINITION:

Inner medullary collecting duct.

oxytocin

DEFINITION:

1. An octapeptide, one of the major hormones made in the magnocellular hypothalamic neurons and stored in the posterior lobe of the pituitary, the other being vasopressin. It has uterine-contracting and milk-ejecting actions. It contributes to the second stage of labor.
2. The same oxytocic principle obtained synthetically or from the posterior pituitary of domestic animals, prepared in accordance with USP standards; it is administered intramuscularly or by intravenous infusion to induce active labor, increase the force of contractions in labor, contract uterine muscle after delivery of the placenta, control postpartum hemorrhage, and stimulate milk ejection.

adenosine

DEFINITION:

A purine nucleoside, adenine linked by its N9 nitrogen to the C1 carbon of ribose. It is a component of ribonucleic acid and its nucleotides play major roles in the reactions and regulation of metabolism. Symbol A.

adenosine monophosphate - A nucleotide involved in energy metabolism.

adenosine triphosphate - A nucleotide involved in energy metabolism and required for RNA synthesis; it occurs in all cells and is used to store energy in the form of high-energy phosphate bonds.

Sprague-Dawley rats

DEFINITION:

A strain of albino rats developed by the Sprague-Dawley Animal Company, widely used in experimental work because of their calmness and ease of handling.

Brattleboro rats

DEFINITION:

Also known as BB rats, a strain that serves as a model of diabetes insipidus (L. Brown). Brattleboro rats have a mutation in the gene that codes for vasopressin and its sister protein neurophysin. Thus, they produce no vasopressin and can be said to have “central diabetes insipidus” (M. Knepper).

oxytocin

DEFINITION:

1. An octapeptide, one of the major hormones made in the magnocellular hypothalamic neurons and stored in the posterior lobe of the pituitary, the other being vasopressin. It has uterine-contracting and milk-ejecting actions. It contributes to the second stage of labor.
2. The same oxytocic principle obtained synthetically or from the posterior pituitary of domestic animals, prepared in accordance with USP standards; it is administered intramuscularly or by intravenous infusion to induce active labor, increase the force of contractions in labor, contract uterine muscle after delivery of the placenta, control postpartum hemorrhage, and stimulate milk ejection.

vasopressin

DEFINITION:

1. One of two octapeptide hormones formed by the neuronal cells of the hypothalamic nuclei and stored in the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland (neurohypophysis), the other being oxytocin. It stimulates the contraction of the muscular tissue of the capillaries and arterioles, raising the blood pressure. It promotes contraction of the intestinal musculature and increases peristalsis, and also exerts some contractile influence on the uterus. It also has a specific effect on the epithelial cells of the distal portion of the uriniferous tubule, augmenting resorption of water independently of solutes, resulting in concentration of urine and dilution of blood serum. Its rate of secretion is regulated chiefly by the osmolarity of the plasma.

2. [USP], A pharmaceutical preparation of the same principle, prepared synthetically or obtained from the posterior pituitary of healthy domestic animals used for food by man; used mainly as an antidiuretic in the treatment of acute or chronic diabetes insipidus, administered intramuscularly as a test of hypothalamo-neurohypophysial-renal function in distinguishing central from nephrogenic diabetes insipidus; it may also be used to stimulate smooth muscle tissue, especially to induce vasoconstriction in the presence of hemorrhage. Called also antidiuretic hormone (ADH).

V2 receptor

DEFINITION:

See under receptor .

mediates

DEFINITION:

Accomplishes indirectly; accomplishes by the aid of an intervening medium.

oxytocin

DEFINITION:

1. An octapeptide, one of the major hormones made in the magnocellular hypothalamic neurons and stored in the posterior lobe of the pituitary, the other being vasopressin. It has uterine-contracting and milk-ejecting actions. It contributes to the second stage of labor.
2. The same oxytocic principle obtained synthetically or from the posterior pituitary of domestic animals, prepared in accordance with USP standards; it is administered intramuscularly or by intravenous infusion to induce active labor, increase the force of contractions in labor, contract uterine muscle after delivery of the placenta, control postpartum hemorrhage, and stimulate milk ejection.

IMCD

DEFINITION:

Inner medullary collecting duct.