Abstract
Recently we reported the presence of an estrogen stimulated oxytocin vasotocin-like (OT-VT) immunoreactive material in plasma of adult human males and females. Although immunoreactive with an antiserum raised against synthetic arginine vasotocin (AVT), the elution profile of OT-VT by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) indicates that it is distinct from AVT, arginine vasopressin (AVP) or oxytocin (OT). Because fetal life represents an estrogen-primed state, cord blood from 15 vaginally delivered newborns was examined for evidence of OT-VT. HPLC analysis of an extracted pool of cord blood plasma revealed 4 peaks (I-IV) of AVT-like immunoreactivity (irAVT). Peaks II and IV coeluted with synthetic AVP and OT and were attributable to cross-reaction of the AVT antiserum with these peptides. Peak I was identified as AVT on the basis of its coelution with synthetic AVT. Peak III eluted in a manner identical with OT-VT. These results indicate that: 1) in addition to AVP and OT, native AVT is present in the circulation of the human newborn, and 2) human newborn plasma contains an irAVT material that is distinct from AVT, AVP or OT but is identical with a novel OT-VT material observed in plasma of estrogen-primed adults. The physiological significance of AVT and OT-VT in newborn plasma remains to be defined.
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Leake, R., Ervin, M., Amico, J. et al. 460 NEWBORN CORD BLOOD CONTAINS FOUR SEPARATE NEUROHYPO PHYSEAL PEPTIDES. Pediatr Res 19, 187 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-00490
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-00490