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Vasopressin deficiency: a hypothesized driver of both social impairment and fluid imbalance in autism spectrum disorder

Molecular Psychiatry (2024)Cite this article

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Scientific naming conventions are often idiosyncratic. For example, biological processes have acquired names after a physician who described a syndrome (Alois Alzheimer), the resemblance of a structure to a common item (sella turcica or Turkish saddle), or a function a molecule is observed to mediate (growth hormone). Although these names may be useful for initial characterization, they can also create confusion (e.g., when a biological entity receives multiple names) or be misleading (e.g., when critical aspects of a molecule’s function are overlooked because it is named after a different, unrelated action).

We believe that arginine vasopressin (AVP), also known as anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), is one such “casualty.” Its dual scientific names – suggesting important effects on blood pressure maintenance and renal water regulation – have made integrating knowledge of AVP’s diverse functions across disciplines challenging. Moreover, because this molecule was named for its peripheral actions – twice! – its function in the central nervous system as a key regulator of mammalian social behavior was insufficiently studied for decades.

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Acknowledgements

The writing of this manuscript was supported, in part, by funding from the National Institutes of Health (HD091972; KJP and AYH), the Department of Defense (W81XWH-21-1-0210; KJP), and the Truong-Tan Broadcom Endowment (KJP). No funding source was involved in the writing of this report or in the decision to submit it for publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 401 Quarry Road, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Lauren Clarke, Antonio Y. Hardan & Karen J. Parker

  2. 1265 Welch Road, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Neil Gesundheit

  3. 675 Nelson Rising Lane, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA

    Elliott H. Sherr

  4. 300 Pasteur Drive, Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Karen J. Parker

Authors
  1. Lauren Clarke
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  2. Neil Gesundheit
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  4. Antonio Y. Hardan
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  5. Karen J. Parker
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the conceptualization of this manuscript. LC and KJP performed the literature review and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. NG, EHS, and AYH reviewed the manuscript and provided critical editorial feedback on it. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karen J. Parker.

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Competing interests

LC, NG, and EHS have no interests to declare. AYH declares consulting fees from Quadrant Bio, IAMA therapeutics, and Beaming Health. AYH and KJP are receiving Vasostrict from Endo International free of charge for use in an investigator-initiated, NIH-funded phase IIb clinical trial that is evaluating the safety and efficacy of vasopressin treatment to improve social abilities in children with ASD. The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University has filed patent applications related to data reviewed herein: PCT/US2019/019029 (“Methods for diagnosing and determining severity of an autism spectrum disorder”) and PCT/US2019/041250 (“Intranasal Vasopressin Treatment for Social Deficits in Children with Autism”). These patents have not been granted, nor licensed, and no author is receiving financial compensation at this time.

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Clarke, L., Gesundheit, N., Sherr, E.H. et al. Vasopressin deficiency: a hypothesized driver of both social impairment and fluid imbalance in autism spectrum disorder. Mol Psychiatry (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02497-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02497-6

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