Abstract
Recently transgenic animals are widely used to understand the physiological role of genes in the field of neuroendocrinology as well as human disease study. Although transgenic mice are widely available, few transgenic rats have not been available because it is difficult to generate transgenic rats. However, most neuroendocrinological and physiological data have been obtained from rats. Thus, we attempted to generate transgenic rats for applying physiological study. It is well known that arginine vasopressin (AVP)-secreting neurons is located in the supraoptic nucleus (SON), the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and the suprachiamatic nucelus (SCN) of the rat hypothalamus. AVP has not only antidiuretic effects on kidney but also various functions in the central nervous system (CNS) such as stress response and circadian rhythm. To understand the physiological aspects of AVP-secreting neurons in the CNS, we generated the fusion gene of AVP and enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP). Finally, we succeeded to make the AVP-eGFP transgenic rats. In the transgenic rats, eGFP was strongly observed in the neurons and fibers of the SON, the PVN and the SCN. The hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal tracts and terminals in the posterior pituitary also expressed eGFP. There was no ectopic expression of eGFP gene in the CNS of transgenic rats. The AVP-eGFP transgenic rats give us new tool to study the physiological role of AVP-secreting neurons in the CNS and dynamics of AVP in the living neurons. [Jpn J Physiol 54 Suppl:S26 (2004)]
