Two residues apart from oxytocin and responsible for something else entirely — the clearest lesson in how little it takes to change a meaning.
Identity
- Class
- Cyclic nonapeptide (9 aa)
- Source
- Hypothalamus; released from the posterior pituitary
- Receptor
- V1a, V1b, and V2 receptors
Key properties
Evidence floorClinicalREF1CLIN1Approximate values for the native hormone; engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting. Each figure carries its own provenance tier, and the floor is the weakest of them - the Standard.
Mechanism
Released in response to rising plasma osmolality, vasopressin acts at renal V2 receptors to promote water reabsorption and at V1 receptors to cause vasoconstriction. It is the primary hormonal regulator of water balance.
Reference notes
- V2 (renal) and V1 (vascular) actions explain its dual role in water balance and blood pressure.
- It differs from oxytocin by two residues, illustrating sequence-level specificity.
- Osmoreceptor-driven release ties it tightly to plasma osmolality.
Regulatory status
United States · reviewed September 2026- Basis
- Vasopressin injection (Vasostrict) approved for vasodilatory shock; desmopressin is an approved analog.
Status describes the molecule as a drug substance under US law and is an editorial reading of the public record — approvals, trial registrations, and the FDA 503A bulk-substances list. It is not legal advice and it changes; the review date above is the last time the table was checked. Other jurisdictions are noted only where they differ materially.
Common questions
- What is Vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone) (ADH)?
- Water retention and vascular tone — osmotic control. Structurally it is Cyclic nonapeptide (9 aa).
- How does ADH work?
- Released in response to rising plasma osmolality, vasopressin acts at renal V2 receptors to promote water reabsorption and at V1 receptors to cause vasoconstriction. It is the primary hormonal regulator of water balance.
- How strong is the evidence for ADH?
- PeptideHormone grades ADH at the "Established" evidence tier — its mechanism and core effects are settled across the peer-reviewed literature. It is catalogued as an endogenous signal the body produces itself, and the tier is an editorial judgment about the public literature that can change as the science does.
- What is the half-life of ADH?
- The reported circulating half-life of ADH is ~15–30 min.
- Is ADH FDA-approved?
- Yes — as of September 2026, ADH is an approved prescription medicine in the United States. Vasopressin injection (Vasostrict) approved for vasodilatory shock; desmopressin is an approved analog. Status is US-centric and can change; check the FDA record for the current position.
In the literature
Live registry counts · retrieved- Ph 12
- Ph 28
- Ph 313
- Ph 416
Searched as Vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone), desmopressin. Counts are search hits from the primary registries, not a curated set and not a grade – a measure of how much work exists on ADH, not how it turned out.
Selected literature
Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.
- 1.Vasopressin receptors · Trends in endocrinology and metabolism: TEM, 2000 · PMID 11091117
- 2.Vasopressin · , 2006 · PMID 29999710
External references
ADH in the public knowledge graph — the same entity resolved across the authoritative chemistry and protein databases.