Distribution of angiotensinogen in Brattleboro rat brain.

Angiotensinogen, the precursor of angiotensin II, was quantitated in 46 brain regions of Brattleboro rats, which lack antidiuretic hormone, and Long-Evans control rats. The regional distribution of angiotensinogen in the two strains was similar except for a small number of areas which in the Brattleboro rats displayed significant decreases; namely, lateral preoptic area, medial basal hypothalamus, medial dorsal hypothalamus, lateral hypothalamus, lateral mammillary bodies, periaquaductal gray and substantia nigra. Additionally, angiotensinogen in the posterior pituitary was significantly elevated in the Brattleboro strain. These results indicate that angiotensinogen is present in the Brattleboro rat brain and that hereditary deficiency of the ability to synthesize antidiuretic hormone may be associated with a localized alteration in angiotensinogen concentration.