Vasopressin receptors

Vasopressin receptors consist of three subtypes, V1A, V1B and V2, and are closely related to oxytocin receptors.   Vasopressin itself has the same affinity for oxytocin receptors as oxytocin does.  V1A receptors are found at high density on smooth muscle cells and are involved in regulation of blood pressure through arterial vasoconstriction. V1B receptors are located in the hypothalamus, where they control ACTH secretion, and in the pancreas, where they are involved in insulin release. V2 receptors are found exclusively on the basolateral membrane of collecting duct cells in the kidney, where they  regulate water excretion.  The most important physiological role of vasopressin is maintenance of water homeostasis - regulating plasma osmolality and volume.  It also has a role in blood pressure control and acts as a neurotransmitter to control circadian rhythm and body temperature and may act as a mediator of memory consolidation and retrieval.

Further reading

Birnbaumer (2000) Vasopressin receptors. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 11(10) 406 PMID: 11091117

Baribeau and Anagnostou (2015) Oxytocin and vasopressin: linking pituitary neuropeptides and their receptors to social neurocircuits. Front Neurosci. 9 335 PMID: 26441508

Cataldo et al (2018) A Review of Oxytocin and Arginine-Vasopressin Receptors and Their Modulation of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Mol Neurosci. 11 27 PMID: 29487501