The Role of Supraoptic Hypothalamic Arginine Vasopressin Neurons in Aging-Associated Water Balance and Thermoregulatory Deficits

Abstract

Aging disrupts physiological homeostasis, impairing thermoregulation, metabolism, and water balance, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we identify arginine vasopressin (AVP) neurons in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) of the hypothalamus as a critical driver of these changes. Using single-nucleus RNA-sequencing of the anterior hypothalamus in young and aged mice, we found Avp to be one of the most upregulated neuronal transcripts with age. Aged SON-AVP neurons displayed enlarged size and heightened excitability, features consistent with hyperactivity. Functionally, chemogenetic activation of SON-AVP neurons in young mice reproduced aging-associated phenotypes including hypothermia, reduced energy expenditure, and suppressed water intake. Conversely, knockdown of Avp in the SON of aged mice restored water balance, partially improved thermoregulation and systemic metabolism. Pharmacological inhibition of AVP receptors revealed that neuroendocrine release of AVP drives homeostatic deficits, with distinct roles for V1A and V2 receptors. Senolytic drug treatment improved systemic metabolism and reduced inflammaging but does not rescue hypothalamic AVP dysfunction, underscoring a brain autonomous mechanism of age-related physiological failure. Together, our findings establish SON-AVP neuronal hyperactivity as a driver of impaired homeostasis with age and suggest that targeted modulation of neuroendocrine AVP signaling may offer a therapeutic strategy to alleviate age-associated water balance defects.