Introduction to arginine vasopressin
Arginine vasopressin (Arginine vasopressin, AVP), also known as antidiuretic hormone (Antidiuretic
hormone (ADH), is a polypeptide hormone secreted by the posterior lobe of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. This hormone plays an important role in humans and many other mammals, maintaining water and electrolyte balance by regulating water reabsorption in the kidneys and contraction of blood vessels.
AVP is structurally similar to tyrosine synthase mimetics and consists of non-homodimers. Its active site consists of a cyclic peptide of eight amino acid residues, namely arginine, aspartic acid, proline, arginine, phenylalanine, leucine, tryptophan and arginine. The first three of these residues are thought to be responsible for AVP’s primary hormonal effects.
Biological effects of AVP
AVP is secreted by the posterior lobe of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, enters the circulation and exerts effects on the kidneys, blood vessels and brain. In the kidney, AVP helps maintain body water balance by acting on renal tubular epithelial cells, stimulating water reabsorption and reducing urine volume and concentration. For this concentrating effect, it is important that it is produced within the kidney, where AVP directly stimulates the corticomedullary marginal zone (Kerbacher cells) to produce a response.
AVP can also act on the liver to promote glucose uptake by liver cells and inhibit the glycogenase activity of the liver. These effects allow AVP to promote glucose metabolism and play an important role in diseases combined with diabetes and hypoglycemia.
In addition to its renal effects, AVP also plays an important role in the vascular system. It can promote vasoconstriction and maintain normal blood pressure levels by acting on vascular smooth muscle. These actions in the vasculature are among the oldest in eukaryotes, even predating the renal effects of AVP, and have been implicated in promoting biological protective mechanisms.
Since it is related to water balance, drinking water and urinary excretion, insufficient or excessive AVP may lead to serious diseases such as water and electrolyte imbalance in the body, dehydration and water intoxication.
