Water deprivation induces regional expression of c-fos protein in the brain of inbred polydipsic mice.

We studied the effects of water deprivation on the expression of c-fos protein (Fos) in the brain of inbred polydipsic mice, STR/N strain, that show extreme polydipsia without a lack of vasopressin in the body. Non-polydipsic mice, ICR strain, were used as controls. All male animals were deprived of water for 24 and 48 h. Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-LI) in the brain was studied by immunohistochemical techniques. In both groups of mice water deprivation induced a remarkable increase in Fos-LI in the hypothalamic paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei, the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO), the organum vasculosum laminae terminalis (OVLT) and the subfornical organ (SFO). A far more increase, however, was seen in the MnPO, the SFO and the area postrema (AP) of the polydipsic mice compared to those of the non-polydipsic control mice. In the nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS) and in the anteroventral part of the PVN (avPVN), water deprivation caused a clear increase in Fos-LI in the polydipsic mice, while in the non-polydipsic mice the same treatment induced no Fos-LI in the NTS and no change in the avPVN. These results indicate that neurons in the circumventricular organs and the NTS are strongly activated by water deprivation in the polydipsic mice, suggesting that these brain structures play an important role in the polydipsia.