REVERSAL OF THE EFFECTS OF PINEALECTOMY ON THE PITUITARY PROLACTIN CONTENT IN MICE BY VERY LOW CONCENTRATIONS OF VASOTOCIN INJECTED INTO THE THIRD CEREBRAL VENTRICLE

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Abstract
Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Rumania (Received 10 February 1975) We have previously reported that the mammalian pineal contains (Pavel, 1965) and synthesizes (Pavel, Dorcescu, Petrescu-Holban & Ghinea, 1973) the specific nonapeptide arginine-vasotocin (AVT), and that minute amounts of AVT injected into the third ventricle of the mouse inhibit gonadotrophin (Pavel, Petrescu & Vicoleanu, 1973b) and corticotrophin (Pavel, Matrescu & Petrescu, 1973a) release. If AVT has a physiological significance in inhibiting anterior pituitary hormones, it should be able to overcome the effects of pinealectomy. Since it has been demonstrated that pinealectomy causes marked effects on the pituitary prolactin content (Donofrio & Reiter, 1972; Relkin, Adachi & Kahan, 1972), it was decided to evaluate the effects of very low concentrations of AVT on the pituitary prolactin content of pinealectomized mice. Prolactin was assayed by the intradermal pigeon crop sac method (Nicoli, 1967) by measuring the mucosal dry weight. A direct comparison was

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