Vasopressin receptor

arginine vasopressin receptor 1A

Identifiers
Symbol	AVPR1A
Alt. symbols	AVPR1
Entrez	552
HUGO	895
OMIM	600821
RefSeq	NM_000706
UniProt	P37288
Other data
Locus	Chr. 12 q14-q15

arginine vasopressin receptor 1B

Identifiers
Symbol	AVPR1B
Alt. symbols	AVPR3
Entrez	553
HUGO	896
OMIM	600264
RefSeq	NM_000707
UniProt	P47901
Other data
Locus	Chr. 1 q32

arginine vasopressin receptor 2

Identifiers
Symbol	AVPR2
Alt. symbols	DIR3, DIR
Entrez	897
HUGO	897
OMIM	300538
RefSeq	NM_000054
UniProt	P30518
Other data
Locus	Chr. X q28

A vasopressin receptor is a cell surface receptor which binds vasopressin. The three types of vasopressin receptor are members of the A6 subfamily of G-protein coupled receptors.

Subtypes

Humans express three subtypes: 1A, 1B and 2

Receptor	Gene	G protein	Functions
Arginine vasopressin receptor 1A	AVPR1A	Gq	Vasoconstriction
Arginine vasopressin receptor 1B also called Arginine vasopressin receptor 3	AVPR1B	Gq	Neural
Arginine vasopressin receptor 2	AVPR2	Gs	Antidiuretic

Function

Although all three of these proteins are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), activation of AVPR1A and AVPR1B stimulate phospholipase C, while activation of AVPR2 stimulates adenylate cyclase. These three receptors for vasopressin have unique tissue distributions. AVPR1A are expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells, hepatocytes, platelets, brain cells, and uterus cells. AVPR1B are expressed in cells of the anterior pituitary and throughout the brain, especially in the pyramidal neurons of the hippocampal CA2 field. AVPR2 are expressed in the kidney tubule, predominantly in the distal convoluted tubule and collecting ducts, in fetal lung tissue and lung cancer, the last two being associated with alternative splicing. AVPR2 is also expressed in the liver where stimulation releases a variety of clotting factors into the bloodstream. In the kidney, AVPR2's primary function is to respond to arginine vasopressin by stimulating mechanisms that concentrate the urine and maintain water homeostasis in the organism. When the function of AVPR2 is lost, the disease Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus (NDI) results.

Role in Disease Treatment

Vasopressin receptor antagonists are drugs that block the action that occurs at the vasopressin receptor to treat diseases. The most common disease these are used to treat is hyponatremia, which causes serious complications for such illnesses as liver cirrhosis and congestive heart failure. Vasopressin receptor antagonists include the new class of "vaptan drugs", including lixivaptan.

External links

• "Vasopressin and Oxytocin Receptors". IUPHAR Database of Receptors and Ion Channels. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. http://www.iuphar-db.org/GPCR/ChapterMenuForward?chapterID=1326. 
• MeSH Vasopressin+Receptors