Although vasopressin cell and fibre distribution patterns are highly conserved across species ( with centrally projecting systems being sexually dimorphic ), the vasopressin receptor AVPR1A distribution differs both between and within species; vasopressin production occurs in the hypothalamus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the medial amygdala ( projecting to the lateral septum and ventral pallidum ), while vasopressin binding sites in humans are in the lateral septum, thalamus, basal amygdaloid nucleus, and brainstem, but not cortex.
