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Cognitiveapproved

Arginine Vasopressin

AVP
Cognitive
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Category
Cognitive
Evidence grade
A
PubMed records
12,241
Female-tagged
4,072
Sex-analysis
100
CAS
—
A
Evidence grade A, Approved indication with 4072 indexed studies that included female subjects. How grades work →
Female evidence: Extrapolated
Arginine Vasopressin: of 12,241 PubMed records, 4,072 are tagged as including female subjects and 100 carry a sex-analysis tag.Counts reflect PubMed records as of 2026-07-21. “Female” uses the Female MeSH filter and “sex-analysis” the Sex Factors MeSH filter, automated proxies pending manual study-level review. Methodology →

Overview

Arginine vasopressin is a nine-amino-acid neurohypophyseal hormone best known outside the lab for its role in water balance, but in neuroscience research it is studied for a distinct set of central signaling functions. Its compact, well-characterized structure has made it a long-standing reference peptide.

In research models, arginine vasopressin has been studied for its association with memory-related processing, social-behavior circuits, and central stress signaling through vasopressin receptor subtypes. Investigators examining neuropeptide modulation of behavior have used it as a research material for decades.

For a cognitive and neurological catalog, vasopressin is notable as a hormone with both peripheral and central signaling roles, which makes receptor-subtype specificity an important part of how it is studied. Whether these central mechanisms translate the same way across female physiology remains an open research question; our evidence review tracks how many of the underlying studies included women.

Summary

Arginine vasopressin is the body's antidiuretic hormone; its synthetic form (vasopressin injection) is FDA-approved for vasodilatory shock and diabetes insipidus. It is also studied for roles in social behavior and memory. Clinical use enrolls women, but is generally not analyzed for female-specific outcomes.

Evidence in women

Menstrual cycle
Unstudied
Fluid balance shifts across the cycle, but vasopressin dosing has not been studied by cycle phase.
Pregnancy & lactation
Unstudied
Pregnancy alters vasopressin metabolism (placental vasopressinase), but its therapeutic use is not well characterized in pregnancy.
Hormonal interactions
Unstudied
Estrogen influences fluid regulation, but controlled interaction data for vasopressin therapy are limited.
Perimenopause & menopause
Unstudied
No perimenopause- or menopause-specific therapeutic analyses.
Sex differences
Unstudied
Vasopressin neurobiology shows documented sex differences in animal models, but human therapeutic use is generally not analyzed by sex.

Mechanism

Activates V1 (vascular), V2 (renal water-retention), and V1b receptors, regulating blood pressure, fluid balance, and stress signaling.

Reported dosing & routes

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We don't give dosing or medical advice. The figures below describe what was used in published research, not a recommendation. Decide with your clinician.

Reported range (literature)Weight-based intravenous infusions per approved labels (shock, diabetes insipidus); not a self-administered research dose.
Routesintravenous, intranasal
Female-specific dosingNot established

Contraindications: hyponatremia; conditions where rapid fluid retention is dangerous

Side effects

Reported in the research literature. Sex-specific incidence has not been separately analysed in the available records.

low sodium (hyponatremia)abdominal crampingvasoconstriction

Arginine Vasopressin reconstitution calculator

Enter this vial's amount, the bacteriostatic water you add, and a target amount to get the concentration and the U-100 syringe units to draw. Handling arithmetic for research use, not a dose recommendation.

Reconstitution

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Draw for Arginine Vasopressin

5
units on a U-100 insulin syringe
020406080100
U-100 insulin syringe — 1 mL = 100 units
That's 0.05 mL drawn to the 5-unit mark.
Concentration5 mg/mL (5,000 mcg/mL)
Volume to draw0.05 mL
Doses per vial40

Reference chart at 5 mg/mL

Target amountVolume (mL)U-100 units
100 mcg0.02 mL2
250 mcg0.05 mL5
500 mcg0.1 mL10
750 mcg0.15 mL15
1000 mcg0.2 mL20

Research-use arithmetic only. This tool converts a vial amount, diluent volume, and a target amount into a concentration and syringe draw for laboratory handling. It is not dosing guidance, a recommendation, or a claim of safety or efficacy, and it does not account for overfill, dead space, or peptide purity. Nothing here is medical advice. “U-100” means 100 units = 1 mL; confirm your syringe graduation before measuring. See the reconstitution & storage handbook for handling detail.

Frequently asked questions

Answers drawn only from Arginine Vasopressin's research facts and, where reviewed, its sex-disaggregated evidence. Nothing here is medical advice, dosing, or a claim of safety or efficacy.

What is Arginine Vasopressin?

Arginine Vasopressin, also known as AVP, is a research compound in our cognitive category. Arginine vasopressin is the body's antidiuretic hormone; its synthetic form (vasopressin injection) is FDA-approved for vasodilatory shock and diabetes insipidus.

Is Arginine Vasopressin studied in women?

Arginine Vasopressin: of 12,241 PubMed records, 4,072 are tagged as including female subjects and 100 carry a sex-analysis tag. We grade this extrapolated: women appear in the record, but no study is tagged for a sex-specific analysis, so female-relevant conclusions are inferred from mixed or male data rather than measured in women. See our methodology.

Has Arginine Vasopressin been studied during pregnancy or breastfeeding?

Unstudied. Pregnancy alters vasopressin metabolism (placental vasopressinase), but its therapeutic use is not well characterized in pregnancy. This is not a safety clearance or a recommendation. Vera, our research chat, deliberately hard-stops on pregnancy, breastfeeding, and trying-to-conceive questions rather than answer them.

What evidence grade does Arginine Vasopressin have, and why?

Arginine Vasopressin carries evidence grade A. Approved indication with 4072 indexed studies that included female subjects.. Grades are derived from the research record, never hand-assigned; see how grades work.

Is there a female-specific dose for Arginine Vasopressin?

No. A female-specific dose for Arginine Vasopressin is not established, and this site does not provide dosing or medical advice. Any figures we show describe what published research used, not a recommendation. Decide anything about use with a qualified clinician.

How is Arginine Vasopressin administered in research?

In the published literature, Arginine Vasopressin is administered via intravenous, intranasal. Reported dose ranges on the Dosing tab describe what studies used for laboratory research, not a protocol for people. We don't provide dosing.

What side effects have been reported for Arginine Vasopressin?

Effects reported in the research literature include low sodium (hyponatremia), abdominal cramping, vasoconstriction. Sex-specific incidence has not been separately analysed in the available records, so these are not broken out for women.

How should Arginine Vasopressin be stored and handled?

Arginine Vasopressin sold for research is supplied as a lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder. Lyophilized peptides are generally kept cold and dry, at roughly -20°C for longer-term storage and 2-8°C short-term, protected from light. Once reconstituted they are typically refrigerated and used within a short window, avoiding repeated freeze-thaw cycles. This is general laboratory handling for research use only, not a directive for human use. Always follow the handling and purity details on the product's Certificate of Analysis.

Where can I buy Arginine Vasopressin for research?

Arginine Vasopressin is not currently listed by our research-use partner, Aurevena Research, but their catalog carries related compounds. Code research15 applies 15% off. We may earn a commission when you purchase through this link, at no extra cost to you. Products are for laboratory research use only.

Browse the Aurevena catalog
Research-use supplier: Arginine Vasopressin isn't currently listed by our research-use vendor. Their catalog carries related compounds. Code research15 for 15% off, applied automatically at checkout. We may earn a commission when you purchase through this link, at no extra cost to you. Products are for laboratory research use only.
Browse the catalog →

Citations (PMID)

35146976 · 39621420

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Educational information for laboratory and research use only. Not medical advice, a recommendation, or a claim of safety or efficacy; no personal dosing. “Unstudied” means no qualifying study was found, not that a compound is safe or unsafe.