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Vasopressin and Oxytocin: Keys to Understanding the Neural Control of Physiology and Behaviour

This special issue resulted from a call for papers that was addressed to the participants of the 9th World Congress on Neurohypophysial Hormones (WCNH 2011). We would like to thank the contributors for their excellent reviews and original research articles. We are also grateful to the Editorial Board of the Journal of Neuroendocrinology for their enthusiastic support, and to our colleagues who generously donated their time and effort to review all of the manuscripts that were submitted for publication in this special issue. WCNH 2011 was held on 27–30 July 2011, at the campus of Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. The programme focused on recent advances in the molecular biology, physiology and neurobiology of vasopressin and oxytocin and their ancestral peptides in mammalian and non-mammalian vertebrates. The accessibility of the neural systems that produce these peptides, their rich history of study, and the central positions that they take in the control of many physiological and behavioural functions have made them into signposts for understanding the brain’s control of systemic physiology and behaviour in health and disease. This dual focus was reflected in the strong translational character of WCNH 2011. Besides presenting the latest information on peptide synthesis and receptor action, the meeting focused on the role of neurohypophysial peptides in the physiology and pathology of osmoregulation, parturition, lactation, cardiovascular regulation, thermoregulation, gastro-intestinal regulation, bone formation and energy balance, as well as reproductive, maternal, aggressive, affiliative, ingestive and other behaviours. The meeting took account of the history of the field, which is reflected in several of the reviews, as well as its future. With respect to the latter, exciting new discoveries were presented; for example, how vasopressin and oxytocin genes are regulated (1) and how this gene regulation can be used to develop modern genetic tools for exploring the anatomy and function of vasopressin and oxytocin neurones (2). In addition, new strategies were outlined concerning how novel genes and peptides that control the function of these neurones can be identified (2); how vasopressin and oxytocin receptor localisation, trafficking and function can be studied (3); and how electrophysiological activity can be measured (e.g. by monitoring glial inputs) (4). These and the other findings presented in this special issue demonstrate that vasopressin and oxytocin neurones continue to be excellent models for studying neuronal function in general. WCNH has come together every second year since its inaugural meeting in 1995 in Nasu, Japan, and has consistently attracted a broad and international range of basic and clinical scientists. WCNH 2011 was no exception, bringing together over 200 participants from all over the world. These participants made up a stimulating mixture of experienced and young investigators, who together presented a total of 117 posters, 29 symposium talks and nine plenary lectures. The latter included the Mortyn Jones Memorial Lecture, which was given this year by Tatsushi Onaka from the Jichi Medical School. Finally, at the meeting banquet, Professor Roger Acher of the Laboratory of Chemical Biology, University of Paris, was honored for his pioneering work in isolating and identifying vasopressin and other neurohypophysial peptides (5). Professor Acher received a long-lasting standing ovation. The next meeting is being planned for Bristol, UK, in 2013. We hope to see you there.