Continuous blockade of brain glucocorticoid receptors facilitates spatial learning and memory in rats.

Previously, a corticosterone surge associated with a learning task was shown to facilitate cognitive processes through brain glucocorticoid receptors (GR) while chronic overexposure to this stress hormone impaired cognition. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that opposing effects on learning and memory might also occur after either phasic or continuous blockade of brain GR by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of the GR antagonist RU38486 (aGR). We used a Morris water maze procedure to assess spatial learning and memory abilities in male Wistar rats. The effect of phasic brain GR blockade was studied following daily pretraining administration of 10 and 100 ng/microL aGR i.c.v. on 3 consecutive days. This repetitive aGR treatment impaired spatial learning and memory dose-dependently in comparison with vehicle controls. For continuous brain GR blockade, animals received an i.c.v., infusion of aGR (10 and 100 ng/0.5 microL per h or vehicle) over 10 days. Infusion of 100 ng aGR per hour resulted in a long-lasting facilitation of spatial performance. The 10 ng aGR infusion also caused initially a facilitating effect, which was, however, transient and performance became impaired during retest. Possible anxiolytic properties of the drugs were excluded in view of the animals' behaviour in the elevated plus maze. Both doses of aGR infusion reduced the number of mineralocorticoid receptors in the hippocampus, but only the high dose of aGR resulted in a significant reduction of available GR sites. In conclusion, continuous administration of GR antagonist improves cognitive function, while phasic blockade of brain GR function causes a cognitive deficit.

11 beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in the hippocampus: implications for in vivo corticosterone receptor binding and cell nuclear retention.

In this study a possible role of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta-HSD) in altering the access of corticosteroids to their receptors in the hippocampus is investigated. In vitro, oxidation of corticosterone to 11-dehydrocorticosterone (11-DHC) was demonstrated in hippocampal homogenates. Glycyrrhetinic acid (GE) and carbenoxolone (CBX) were potent inhibitors of 11 beta-HSD activity and did not display affinity for mineralocorticoid (MRs) nor glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). Intracerebroventricular injection of CBX in vivo (ED50 approximately 30 micrograms) decreased oxidative activity in hippocampal homogenates, as demonstrated in vitro. In vitro, in hippocampal slices, cell nuclear retention of tritiated corticosterone, but not aldosterone, was markedly enhanced in the presence of GE, which at a concentration of 20 nM was found to inhibit 11 beta-HSD activity by about 50% in the intact cell preparation. In contrast to the effect on in vitro cell nuclear uptake, in vivo autoradiography revealed that retention of corticosterone in the hippocampal cell nuclei was not affected after intracerebroventricular treatment with CBX. We conclude that hippocampal 11 beta-HSD activity does not alter binding of low amounts of corticosterone to MRs in vivo, but we cannot exclude that the enzyme may modulate access to corticosteroid receptors under certain circumstances.

Divergent prolactin and pituitary-adrenal activity in rats selectively bred for different dopamine responsiveness.

The present study explores the significance of brain dopamine phenotype for individual variation in the neuroendocrine stress response of the rat. For this purpose, we used two Wistar rat lines previously selected for high or low responsiveness of the dopamine system to apomorphine using the gnawing response as the selection criterion. Systemic administration of the drug evoked in apomorphine-susceptible (apo-sus) rats a vigorous gnawing response, whereas apomorphine-unsusceptible (apo-unsus) rats did not gnaw under these conditions. These two rat lines represent individuals displaying extreme differences in gnawing behavior that otherwise coexist in a normal Wistar population. In this study basal and stress-induced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity and PRL release were measured in chronically cannulated, freely moving rats that endured a conditioned emotional response. Tyrosine hydroxylase messenger RNA (mRNA), corticosteroid receptor mRNA, and in vivo retention of [3H]corticosterone were measured in rat brain sections using in situ hybridization and in vivo autoradiography. The result show that 1) apo-sus rats had a markedly reduced PRL response to stress compared to apo-unsus animals, whereas basal levels were not significantly different. A12 dopaminergic neurons in the arcuate nucleus expressed significantly higher levels of tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA in apo-sus rats, suggesting that the reduced stress-induced PRL release could be due to an increased inhibitory control by dopaminergic neurons; 2) in apo-sus rats, stress resulted in a sustained elevation of ACTH and free corticosterone levels, whereas the total corticosterone levels were not different between the two rat lines; 3) under basal morning conditions, apo-sus rats had significantly higher plasma ACTH, but, in contrast, lower free corticosterone than apo-unsus rats; total plasma corticosterone levels were not different; 4) the basal evening ACTH level was elevated in apo-sus rats; after removal of the adrenals in the morning, this increased ACTH level in apo-sus rats persisted into the afternoon 6 h postadrenalectomy; and 5) hippocampal mineralocorticoid (MR), but not glucocorticoid (GR), receptor capacity for the ligand comparable between the groups; the MR of apo-sus rats displayed an increased retention of [3H]corticosterone in all hippocampal cell fields measured 24 h adrenalectomy; MR and GR mRNA in hippocampus as well as GR mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus were not significantly different in the two rat lines. In conclusion, the data suggest a common genetic background for individual variation in stress responsiveness and dopamine phenotype. High dopamine reactivity is linked to a reduced PRL and an increased ACTH response after stress. These high dopamine responders display a hyporesponsive adrenal cortex and corticosteroid feedback resistance associated with altered brain corticosteroid receptor properties.

Long-term effects of neonatal maternal deprivation and ACTH on hippocampal mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors.

In the brain, corticosteroids bind to two types of receptors, the classical glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). The effects of different manipulations taking place during early ontogeny on GR and MR binding properties were examined in the adult hippocampus. Infant rats at postnatal day (pnd) 3 were deprived of maternal contact for 24 h and injected with saline or ACTH1-24 at the end of the deprivation period. They were then returned to their dams and weaned on pnd 21. At pnd 48, they were sacrificed (24 h post adrenalectomy) and the hippocampal MR and GR measured using an in vitro cytosol binding assay. In the male rats, deprivation and deprivation + ACTH resulted in a reduction of GRs. MRs were also significantly down regulated in the deprived males. In the female rats, saline injections in deprived female rats resulted in increased GR capacity and ACTH injections led to a further up-regulation of the GRs. None of the early manipulations influenced the regulation of the MRs in females. The binding affinity for corticosteroid receptors was also altered by some of the early manipulations. These results in adult (7-week-old) rats indicate that the receptor systems for corticosteroids in the brain are sensitive to brief manipulations occurring early in development. These changes in receptor capacity and/or affinity may affect corticosteroid-mediated processes in the adult rat.

Corticosteroid receptor antagonists: a current perspective.

This review aims to highlight a selection of antagonists for the mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors. Concepts of these receptor systems are described, as is the mechanism of action of these steroids in the brain and periphery. Examples of commonly available and newly synthesized antimineralocorticoids and antiglucocorticoids are given, together with their pharmacological profiles and, when appropriate, clinical and therapeutic applications.

Corticosterone, brain mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis: the Lewis rat as an example of increased central MR capacity and a hyporesponsive HPA axis.

In this study we report a series of differences in brain and peripheral elements regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis between male LEW and Wistar rats. We found: (i) differential properties of mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the brain (hippocampus, hypothalamus) and pituitary: LEW rats displayed an increased capacity of MRs in the hippocampus and hypothalamus and a decreased capacity of glucocorticoid receptors GRs in the pituitary. The binding affinity (Kd) for MRs and GRs in the hippocampus was comparable. (ii) Lower concentrations of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA were detected in the nucleus paraventricularis of the hypothalamus of LEW rats. (iii) Adrenal weight was similar in LEW and Wistar rats; however, LEW rats had about 30% less adrenocortical cells. Subjecting adrenocortical cells to increasing doses of ACTH1-24 in vitro resulted in about a 60% smaller release of corticosterone in LEW rats. (iv) LEW rats escaped dexamethasone suppression showing increased basal levels of endogenous ACTH, but responded with a comparable release of corticosterone to the IV injection of 5 ng ACTH1-24. (v) LEW rats responded to a variety of stimuli: adrenalectomy under ether anaesthesia, a novel environment, a tail nick and restraint or an immunological challenge, with lower circulating ACTH and corticosterone plasma levels than Wistar rats. (vi) Evening levels of ACTH and corticosterone were lower in LEW than Wistar rats but did not differ in the morning. Blockade of brain MRs in the evening by a central injection of the specific MR antagonist RU28318 in LEW rats resulted in increased circulating levels of ACTH and corticosterone. (vii) Levels of corticosteroid-binding proteins were lower in one-day adrenalectomized LEW rats, indicating higher levels of free corticosterone. (viii) LEW rats had a smaller thymus than Wistar rats. Taken together, the receptor binding data correspond to a decreased neuroendocrine responsiveness of LEW rats to stress. We suggest that the shift in the central MR/GR balance of LEW rats, i.e. augmented MR-mediated effects of corticosterone, is the central regulating mechanism of the hyporeactive HPA axis in this rat strain. Lower levels of CRH mRNA in the hypothalamus and lower levels of ACTH and corticosterone in response to various stimuli, as well as the hyporesponsive adrenals to exogenous ACTH, are apparently the consequences of the life-long suppressive action of corticosterone via central MRs.

Endotoxin and interleukin 1 decrease the affinity of hippocampal mineralocorticoid (type I) receptor in parallel to activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) activate both the immune and the stress response system. The effects of these bacterial endotoxins involve the release of interleukin 1 (IL1) and other cytokines, which in turn stimulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. We studied the binding properties of the corticosteroid receptor system, which mediates feedback inhibition of the HPA axis, in two brain areas and in the pituitary gland in rats treated with LPS and recombinant murine IL1 beta. The binding properties of the corticosteroid receptors were determined by Scatchard plot analyses of in vitro cytosolic binding of the tritiated mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) radioligand aldosterone and the tritiated glucocorticoid receptor (GR) ligand RU28362. Tissues were collected 48 h after administration of LPS, including a 24-hour period for depletion of endogenous corticosterone. LPS treatment increased the Kd of [3H]aldosterone of the hippocampal MR 4.3-fold and the apparent maximum binding capacity (Bmax) of [3H]aldosterone by 65% during a time interval when the concentration of corticosterone, the endogenous ligand of both hippocampal MR and GR, was elevated in the intact rat. Thereafter, MR binding properties were not different from vehicle-injected controls, at 96 h, when in intact animals the enhanced HPA activity subsided. GRs, determined by binding of [3H]RU28362, were not affected by LPS. IL1 evoked a 2.7-fold increase in the Kd of the hippocampal MR and a 57% increase in Bmax 3 h after injection into the lateral cerebral ventricle. An autoradiographic procedure revealed that the same treatment with IL1 reduced the retention of the tritiated endogenous MR ligand corticosterone by 40-60% in all pyramidal cell layers and in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, when a tracer dose of the steroid was administered that gives rise to a concentration around the Kd of the MR. This reduced in vivo retention of corticosterone is predicted in view of the reduced affinity of hippocampal MRs. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that an impaired feedback of the HPA axis via deficient hippocampal MRs contributes to stimulate corticosterone secretion from the adrenals during infection.

Corticosterone modulates interleukin-evoked fever in the rat.

The role of endogenous corticoids in fever responses caused by recombinant murine interleukin (IL)-1 beta and IL-6 was studied in adult male Wistar rats. Adrenalectomy diminished the development of fever after intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of these ILs and lowered body temperature. Intraperitoneal administration of the same doses of ILs did not produce fever in intact animals or hypothermia in adrenalectomized rats, thus suggesting a central site of action of IL-1 beta and IL-6 in these experiments. Chronic replacement with moderate doses of corticosterone restored the fever response in adrenalectomized animals in response to icv administration of IL-1 beta but only partially reversed the fever caused by IL-6. Adrenalectomized animals acutely treated with corticosterone and thereafter with either IL-1 beta or IL-6 developed fever more rapidly than did chronically corticosterone-treated animals. In intact animals corticosterone blocked the fever response to icv injected IL-1 beta. We propose that in the rat corticosterone acts in a bimodal manner on body temperature; it exerts a permissive central effect on the fever response and limits the production of inflammatory mediators in the brain. Conversely, higher corticosterone doses probably reduce the magnitude of the fever response.

Brain mineralocorticoid receptor diversity: functional implications.

Mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) in neurons of the anterior hypothalamus and the periventricular brain regions mediate aldosterone-selective actions on sodium homeostasis, salt appetite and cardiovascular regulation. Corticosterone is not effective in these neurons, possibly because it is enzymatically inactivated. However, MRs in limbic brain regions, notably in the hippocampal neurons, do already respond to very low concentrations of both corticosterone and aldosterone. The MR-mediated effects stabilize neuronal transmission and appear critical for neuronal integrity of a sub-region of the hippocampus: the dentate gyrus. Higher concentrations of corticosterone induced by stress and the circadian rise progressively activate the lower affinity glucocorticoid receptors (GRs), which in coordination with MR-mediated actions then facilitate adaptive processes required for recovery of homeostasis. It is postulated that this balanced MR- and GR-mediated action of corticosterone is of critical importance for regulation of the stress response and behavioural adaptation.

Cellular localization of interleukin 6 mRNA and interleukin 6 receptor mRNA in rat brain.

The distribution of interleukin 6 (IL-6) mRNA and IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) mRNA in the brain of adult male rats was studied at the light microscope level by in situ hybridization histochemistry using 35S-labelled oligonucleotides. The transcripts of both genes were localized in the pyramidal neurons and in the granular neurons of the hippocampus, in neurons of the habenular nucleus as well as in the dorsomedial and ventromedial hypothalamus, in the piriform cortex, in scattered neurons of the cortex and in granular cells of the cerebellum. The medial preoptic nucleus and the anterior tip of the lateral ventricle contained mRNA encoding IL-6 and its receptor. Moreover, white matter areas, such as the internal capsule, which consist of only fibres and glial cells, were found to have autoradiographic signals above background. The mRNAs for IL-6 and IL-6R in hippocampus and cerebellum are not different, as shown by Northern blot analyses of RNA isolated from these tissues. We postulate that the cytokine IL-6 is expressed constitutively in discrete regions of the CNS and that it is involved in the mechanisms coordinating metabolic, behavioural and neuroendocrine changes not only during illness but also under normal physiological conditions. Our results suggest that IL-6 mRNA and IL-6R mRNA are colocalized, thus supporting a role of the cytokine in autocrine and paracrine communication.

Short inescapable stress produces long-lasting changes in the brain-pituitary-adrenal axis of adult male rats.

Recently, we reported that rats exposed to a single and short session of inescapable footshocks showed alterations in behavioural response to environmental stimuli which developed progressively over a week and remained present for at least 28 days. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether these behavioural changes were accompanied by alterations in the brain-pituitary-adrenal axis. Male Wistar rats were subjected to 10 inescapable footshocks (S) of 6 s duration and 1 mA intensity during a period of 15 min. Control rats (C) were placed in the shock apparatus for 15 min without receiving shocks. The effects of these experimental procedures were studied 14 days later. Exposure to shocks did not affect basal plasma levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT). However, the novelty-induced ACTH response was increased in S rats as compared to C rats whereas the CORT response did not differ between C and S rats. The ACTH content of the anterior pituitary gland and adrenal weight were not affected by exposure to inescapable footshocks 14 days earlier. Quantitative immunocytochemistry of vasopressin (AVP) and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the external zone of the median eminence showed that prior footshock exposure increased the AVPi stores to 167% as compared to C rats, whereas CRFi content was not changed. In addition, S rats showed increased mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptor binding capacity in the hippocampus as compared to C rats, whereas affinities were not affected. We conclude that a single and short session of inescapable footshocks has long-lasting effects on brain-pituitary-adrenal functioning concomitant with behavioural alterations.

Regulation of interleukin 6 gene expression in rat.

The effects of ip endotoxin administration on interleukin 6 (IL6) transcripts in brain and in peripheral tissues of rats were studied together with the effects of this treatment on IL6 and corticosterone concentrations in blood serum. Northern blot analyses showed a rapid increase of IL6 transcripts in spleen, pituitary gland, and adrenals that was paralleled by pronounced elevations in serum IL6 and corticosterone levels. Adrenalectomy further enhanced the induction of IL6 messenger RNA (mRNA) in spleen and pituitary gland and augmented the increase in serum IL6 bioactivity after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection. Corticosterone pretreatment (10 mg/kg) completely blocked the increase of IL6 in serum and IL6 mRNA in spleen, adrenals, and hypophysis. In several brain areas, low amounts of IL6 mRNA were detected under basal, noninflammatory conditions, but in response to LPS there was no change in the IL6 mRNA in hippocampus, hypothalamus, and cerebellum. Neither adrenalectomy nor peripheral injections of sublethal LPS doses of up to 10 mg/kg were capable of increasing IL6 mRNA in the hippocampus. The data do not support the hypothesis that central IL6 biosynthesis via transcription of the gene contributes to the endotoxin-mediated activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system. The results, however, clearly demonstrate that LPS-induced IL6 gene expression is subject to glucocorticoid suppression in peripheral tissues.

Corticosteroid receptor plasticity in the central nervous system of various rat models.

The action of corticosteroids in the central nervous system (CNS) is mediated by two distinct corticosteroid receptors: the mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors (MR and GR respectively). Using an established in vitro binding assay system, MR and GR binding parameters were determined in the hippocampal, hypothalamic and pituitary cytosol of various rat models. In the (pharmaco-)genetically selected rat lines, the apomorphine susceptible (APO-SUS) rats showed a significant increase in the hippocampal and pituitary MR binding capacities (but not affinity) compared to those in the apomorphine-unsusceptible (APO-UNSUS) rats. In immunologically-altered Lewis (LEW/N) rats and in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), increased hippocampal MR capacity (but not affinity) and hypothalamic MR capacity were observed compared to their respective control, Wistar (WIST) and Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. In addition, compared to WKY rats, SHR rats also showed a much greater pituitary but lesser hypothalamic GR binding capacity. In rats subjected to alteration in environmental conditions, the long-term effects of a short inescapable stress resulted in a significant increase in both hippocampal MR and GR while the pituitary and hypothalamic MR and GR do not differ in the stress and control groups. In rats subjected to a defeat test, a decrease in hippocampal MR and GR was observed 3 weeks (but not 1 week) later.

Peripheral and central regulation of IL-6 gene expression in endotoxin-treated rats.

The distribution of IL-6 mRNA in the rat brain was studied by in situ hybridization using 35S-labelled oligonucleotides. The mRNA encoding IL-6 was found in hippocampus, hypothalamus, cerebellum as well as in other brain areas. Microscopic analyses revealed both neuronal and glial cell localization of the mRNA. Subsequently, Northern blot analyses were performed with RNA isolated from spleen, adrenals, pituitary gland, hypothalamus, hippocampus and cerebellum of rats injected intraperitoneally with a non toxic dose of LPS. A rapid induction of the IL-6 mRNA was observed in the peripheral organs, whereas no change in IL-6 transcripts could be measured in the brain. It is concluded that the local synthesis and release of IL-6 in pituitary and adrenal gland might be involved in the activation of the HPA axis following an endotoxin challenge.

Implication of glucocorticoid receptors in the stimulation of human glioma cell proliferation by dexamethasone.

Dexamethasone is frequently used in the therapy of brain tumor patients. We investigated the effect of dexamethasone on the proliferation of three short-term and four established human glioma cell lines in vitro, using a microculture tetrazolium assay to determine growth rates. In one short-term culture and in one established cell line dexamethasone consistently stimulated the proliferation in a concentration-dependent way. The proliferation was maximally enhanced at a concentration of approximately 0.1 microM. In these two cell lines a relatively high level of glucocorticoid receptors was present, whereas low levels of glucocorticoid receptors were found in the other cell lines. In addition, we demonstrated that the stimulatory effects of dexamethasone on the proliferation of the glioma cell lines can be antagonized by the antiglucocorticoid RU38486. The results demonstrate unequivocally that the glucocorticoid receptor plays a role in the growth stimulating effect of dexamethasone.

The effect of aging on stress responsiveness and central corticosteroid receptors in the brown Norway rat.

The present study examined the stress responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in relation to the properties of corticosteroid receptors in the brain and pituitary of old (30 months) and young (3 months) male Brown Norway rats. Adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (B) were measured following exposure to novelty and to a conditioned emotional stimulus in blood samples sequentially obtained from chronically cannulated animals. Mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors were quantified by radioligand binding assay and in situ hybridization. The receptor binding constants were determined in tissue of rats that were adrenalectomized 24 hours previously, whereas gene expression was measured in the brain of intact animals. Aged Brown Norway rats showed a small but significant elevation in basal circulating ACTH level. The conditioned emotional stimulus, rather than the exposure to novelty, triggered a more than two-times higher ACTH response in the aged compared to the young rat. The termination of the stress-induced ACTH response seemed to proceed more efficiently in the aged rat. Basal and stress-induced total plasma B level did not differ in the young and old rats. The latter showed a 65% lower binding capacity of corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG). Interestingly, in the aged rat the stress-induced rise in free circulating plasma B level was not elevated, but only prolonged. The hippocampus of aged rats displayed a decrease of maximally 44% in the apparent Bmax of MR, but no change in GR number. The Bmax of GR showed a 40% reduction in the hypothalamus and a 50% reduction in the anterior pituitary. GR affinity was considerably increased in the anterior pituitary, but was unchanged in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Old age affected MR and GR gene expression differentially. GR mRNA was significantly reduced in cell field CA3 (-42%), CA4 (-41%) and the dentate gyrus (-26%) of the dorsal hippocampus, but did not change either in hippocampal cell field CA1 or in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the old rat. There was no significant difference in MR mRNA between young and aged rats in the different cell fields of the hippocampus. The aged rat, therefore, is characterized by site- and receptor-specific changes in binding constants as well as by changes in receptor transcription and translation. The data demonstrate that in the old Brown Norway rats, a conditioned emotional stimulus results in enhanced pituitary ACTH release.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Regulation of vasopressin messenger RNA levels in the small cell lung carcinoma cell line GLC-8: interactions between glucocorticoids and second messengers.

The role of glucocorticoids and second messenger systems in the regulation of the vasopressin (VP) gene was studied in the human small cell lung carcinoma cell line GLC-8. Small cell lung carcinoma GLC-8 cells express VP mRNA and contain both glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors. Treatment with the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone when added alone at 10(-8) M had no effect on the VP mRNA level and decreased the level by 30% at 10(-6) M. However, the effect of dexamethasone changed to positive when cells were simultaneously treated with cAMP-enhancing agents. VP mRNA levels, which were elevated by 1.5- to 2-fold by the cAMP-enhancing agents alone, increased a further 1.5- to 3-fold by dexamethasone. Thus, the combined effect of dexamethasone and cAMP stimulation was a 3- to 7.5-fold increase in VP mRNA levels. Long term treatment with the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) reduced the VP mRNA level by 75%. The TPA-suppressed VP mRNA levels could be up-regulated about 6-fold by simultaneous treatment with 8-bromo-cAMP. Dexamethasone did not alter the TPA-suppressed VP mRNA levels. These results indicate that both cAMP and protein kinase-C pathways as well as glucocorticoid receptors are involved in the regulation of VP mRNA levels and that these factors interact. This leads to a negative or positive response of VP gene expression to glucocorticoids in a state-dependent manner. The interactions may be of significance in a physiological context and relate to the different regulation of VP-expressing systems in the brain.