vasopressin

va·so·pres·sin | \ ˌvā-zō-ˈpre-sᵊn

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 First, your child needs to develop increased levels of the hormone vasopressin, which concentrates his urine. — New York Times, "How to Stop Bed-Wetting At Night," 17 Apr. 2020 And while researchers aren’t clear on what might put postpartum women at higher risk, a fluctuation in hormones — such as oxytocin, prolactin and vasopressin — may be partially to blame, as might a lack of quality sleep. — Leigh Ann Henion, New York Times, "Do New Moms Dream Differently After Giving Birth?," 16 Apr. 2020 One of the most interesting things is the finding that the vasopressin in the CSF correlates with sociality in the macaques and in autism with children. — Andrew Joseph, STAT, "In monkeys, researchers find possible biological marker of autism," 2 May 2018 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

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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“Vasopressin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vasopressin. Accessed 23 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for vasopressin

vasopressin

noun

va·so·pres·sin | \ ˌvā-zō-ˈpres-ᵊn

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