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Drugs and Drug Action
Vasopressin.
A disease known as diabetes insipidus is characterized by the
excessive production of urine with a high concentration of water,
which is the result of the failure of the kidney tubules to
reabsorb the proper amount of water. A common cause of diabetes
insipidus is the inadequate production of vasopressin by the
pituitary. The condition may be treated by replacement of vasopressin
or by the use of its synthetic analogue desmopressin. Vasopressin
also plays a role as a neurotransmitter in the brain, and there
is some evidence that it is involved in memory storage and in
mood.
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