1 vasopressin | Definition of vasopressin

vasopressin

noun
va·​so·​pres·​sin | \ ˌvā-zō-ˈpre-sᵊn How to pronounce vasopressin (audio) \

Definition of vasopressin

: a polypeptide hormone secreted by the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland or obtained synthetically that increases blood pressure and decreases urine flow

called also antidiuretic hormone

Examples of vasopressin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Although the relationship here isn’t fully understood, a lot of this seems to come down to the fact that alcohol suppresses a hormone in your body called vasopressin (also known as antidiuretic hormone). Kimberly Truong, SELF, "Is ‘Breaking the Seal’ When You Drink Alcohol Really a Thing?," 16 Mar. 2019 UK HealthCare, the University of Kentucky’s hospitals and clinics, last month began buying the blood-pressure drug vasopressin compounded by Athenex. Melanie Evans, WSJ, "Cheap Custom-Made Versions of High-Cost Drugs Spur Backlash," 9 Sep. 2018 Outside the brain, vasopressin helps regulate blood pressure and fluid retention. Melissa Healy, latimes.com, "Is vasopressin what's lacking in the brains of those with autism?," 3 May 2018 If vasopressin can be strongly linked to autism, it could be used to diagnose the condition earlier, gauge the effectiveness of treatment, or even become a direct drug target. Laura Yan, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists May Have Found a Signpost for Autism in Monkeys," 6 May 2018 But the new study found that vasopressin levels, by contrast, remain stable over long periods. Melissa Healy, latimes.com, "Is vasopressin what's lacking in the brains of those with autism?," 3 May 2018 In his own research with rats and voles, vasopressin promoted some maternal behaviors. Andrea Marks, Scientific American, "Why Some Mice Seem to Make Bad Parents," 1 July 2017 Those dogs that were more aggressive towards other dogs, however, had more vasopressin. National Geographic, "Why Are Some Dogs More Aggressive?," 4 Oct. 2017 Block vasopressin and the male voles shifted back to their more peaceable selves. National Geographic, "Why Are Some Dogs More Aggressive?," 4 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vasopressin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of vasopressin

1927, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for vasopressin

from Vasopressin, a trademark

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More Definitions for vasopressin

vasopressin

noun
va·​so·​pres·​sin | \ ˌvā-zō-ˈpres-ᵊn How to pronounce vasopressin (audio) \

Medical Definition of vasopressin

: a polypeptide hormone that is secreted together with oxytocin by the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, is also obtained synthetically, and increases blood pressure and exerts an antidiuretic effect

called also antidiuretic hormone, beta-hypophamine

— see arginine vasopressin, lysine vasopressin, pitressin

More from Merriam-Webster on vasopressin

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vasopressin