Vasopressin resistance in potassium depletion: role of Na-K pump

Resistance to the hydrosmotic effects of vasopressin has been described in K depletion. It is not clear whether other effects of vasopressin, notably its effects on the Na-K pump in the collecting duct, are similarly affected. Adrenalectomized male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated to either a normal K (NK) or low-K (LK) diet. Na-K pump activity (pmol.mm-1.h-1) in cortical collecting duct (CCD) and medullary collecting duct (MCD) was determined at 21 days after allocation to the dietary groups before and after exogenous vasopressin (0.1 U twice daily for 3 days). In animals on NK diet, vasopressin (AVP) led to a doubling of Na-K pump activity in the CCD from 502 +/- 47 to 1,144 +/- 41 pmol.mm-1.h-1 (P < 0.01). In K-depleted animals, which had a higher baseline Na-K pump activity, an increase was also observed from 1,056 +/- 97 to 1,239 +/- 65 pmol.mm-1.h-1 (P < 0.05), but this increase was quantitatively less, with the change being 183 vs. 642 pmol.mm-1.h-1 in K-replete rats. The findings in the MCD were similar; in rats on a NK diet, AVP led to a significant increase in Na-K pump activity from 498 +/- 29 to 830 +/- 28 pmol.mm-1.h-1 (P < 0.01). With K depletion, this directional change was preserved, increasing from 1,380 +/- 49 to 1,556 +/- 45 pmol.mm-1.h-1 (P < 0.05), but was quantitatively less than in K-replete rats, the change being 176 vs. 332 pmol.mm-1.h-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)