Secretory pattern of vasopressin in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with dementia and of two control groups

• Published in: European journal of endocrinology Vol. 130; no. 4; pp. 346 - 349
• Main Authors: NADAL, M, WIKSTRÖM, L, RUTHSTRÖM, L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colchester Portland Press 01.04.1994
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Circadian Rhythm; Dementia - metabolism; Electrolytes - blood; Female; Geriatrics; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Osmolar Concentration; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Vasopressins - blood; Vasopressins - cerebrospinal fluid; Vasopressins - metabolism; Human; Pathophysiology; Memory; Neurohypophyseal hormone; Peptide hormone; Hormonal investigation; Cerebrospinal fluid; Neuropeptide; Elderly; Blood; Vasopressin; Dementia
• ISSN: 0804-4643; 1479-683X
• DOI: 10.1530/eje.0.1300346

Nadal M, Wikström L, Ruthström L. Secretory pattern of vasopressin in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with dementia and of two control groups. Eur J Endocrinol 1994;130:346–9. ISSN 0804–4643 Since the description of its antidiuretic effect in 1913, a variety of functions have been attributed to vasopressin, one of the most controversial throughout the years probably being its effect on memory processes. In an attempt to study the actual secretory rhythm of vasopressin in humans with demonstrated impaired memory, the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid levels of the peptide have been examined during 24 h in a group of patients with dementia, and their values compared with two healthy control groups of young and elderly volunteers. Patients with dementia had higher circulating levels of vasopressin in plasma than the healthy participants and the differences were statistically significant when compared with the healthy elderly (p = 0.003). This difference is not age-related because both groups were in the same age range. A possible explanation could be the higher plasma osmolality measured in the patients with dementia, despite the fact that their levels were within the normal ranges. The different results could not be attributed to changes in electrolytes or blood pressure because these parameters were similar in all groups (p = NS). But more interesting, perhaps, is the secretory pattern found in all three groups. The pattern is biphasic, with two significant peaks: at 16.00 h (p = 0.032) and at night (p = 0.002). This pattern was similar in all cases and in all groups. The total nocturnal secretion of vasopressin is higher than the diurnal secretion (p = 0.02) only in the plasma because the cerebrospinal fluid values were higher during the day. In contrast to plasma, no significant difference was found in the levels of vasopressin in cerebrospinal fluid between patients with dementia and the healthy groups. Furthermore, the correlation between plasma and cerebrospinal fluid levels was, as a whole, rather poor in our material but better in the healthy young volunteers. It seems evident, in view of these results, that the postulated relationship between vasopressin and memory cannot depend on an inadequate concentration of the hormone in the cerebrospinal fluid because all our groups showed similar values. Several hypotheses are given to explain the secretory pattern found in our material as well as for the differences in plasma between the patients with dementia and the control groups. M Nadal, Skellefteå Hospital, 93187 Skellefteå, Sweden