Isotonic NaCl intake by cell-dehydrated rats

Male adult rats that received an intragastric load of 2 ml of 12% NaCl (n=13) ingested both water (4.0+/-0.2 ml/2 h) and 0.9% NaCl (3.7+/-1.0 ml/2 h) when compared with rats that received intragastric load of 2 ml of water (water: 0.1+/-0.1; 0.9% NaCl: 0.5+/-0.3 ml/2 h, n=12) in a two-bottle test. Intragastric sodium load increased plasma sodium concentration and osmolality by 5% and reduced plasma renin activity by half compared to rats that received intragastric load of water. Intravenous infusion of 1.5 ml/10 min of 10% NaCl (n=16) also induced ingestion of water (6.2+/-0.8 ml/2 h) and 0.9% NaCl (2.9+/-0.8 ml/2 h) compared with intravenous infusion of 1.5 ml/10 min of 0.9% NaCl (water: 0.9+/-0.4; 0.9% NaCl: 0.5+/-0.2 ml/2 h, n=14). Therefore, a sodium load that raises natremia and plasma osmolality, and therefore induces cell dehydration, results in both 0.9% NaCl and water ingestion when the rats have a two-bottle choice.