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1. The effect of intramuscular injection of 8-arginine vasotocin, 8-arginine vasopressin, 8-lysine vasopressin, oxytocin, 8-ornithine oxytocin and 8-ornithine vasopressin on fluid uptake across the skin was studied in the live toad, Bufo melanostictus, bathed either in distilled water or in NaCl solution (0·1 g/100 ml.).
2. When the bathing solution was distilled water, 8-arginine vasotocin was the most potent, 0·14 nmole/kg augmenting the rate of fluid uptake by 50%. Compared with it the others had relative potencies of: 8-arginine vasopressin 0·8, 8-lysine vasopressin 0·8 x 10-3, oxytocin 0·8 x 10-3, 8-ornithine oxytocin 0·8 x 10-2, 8-ornithine vasopressin < 1·4 x 10-4.
3. When the bathing solution contained 0·1% NaCl, 8-arginine vasotocin was again the most potent, 0·06 nmole/kg augmenting the rate of fluid uptake by 50%. Compared with it the others had relative potencies of: 8-arginine vasopressin 0·3, 8-lysine vasopressin 0·3 x 10-3, oxytocin 0·3 x 10-2, 8-ornithine oxytocin 0·8 x 10-2, 8-ornithine vasopressin < 0·6 x 10-4.
4. Doseresponse curves for each peptide showed that in the case of 8-arginine vasopressin, 8-lysine vasopressin and 8-ornithine vasopressin the augmentation of rate of fluid uptake did not differ in the absence or in the presence of NaCl in the bathing solution; whereas in the case of 8-arginine vasotocin, oxytocin, and 8-ornithine oxytocin the augmentation was greater in the presence of sodium chloride.
5. Support has been found for the postulate of a binary action of some neurohypophysial peptides on amphibian skin, arginine in position 8 being correlated with hydrosmotic effect, and isoleucine in position 3 with natriferic effect.
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