Renal effects of aldosterone in the sodium bicarbonate infused rat

The present study investigated the renal function in male Sprague-Dawley rats receiving continuous NaHCO3 (0.077 M) infusion. The renal effects of aldosterone administration in this preparation were also examined. Continuous NaHCO3 infusion significantly (p less than 0.01) depressed plasma aldosterone concentration to 2.36 +/- 1.22 nmol (n = 8) when compared to saline infused rats (4.36 +/- 0.72 nmol, n = 7). The low plasma aldosterone levels in HCO3- infused rats was associated with renal loss of large amounts of K+ and hypokalaemia. Aldosterone administration (42 pmol/min) for 2 h significantly (p less than 0.01) reduced the Na+ excretion rate in bicarbonate infused rats from a mean peak of 9.82 +/- 1.16 to 5.16 +/- 1.20 mumol/min (n = 8). Aldosterone administration did not alter renal excretion in saline-infused rats. It is concluded that NaHCO3 loading depressed endogenous aldosterone secretion, and that this lowered endogenous plasma aldosterone level allows the mineralocortoid effect of exogenous aldosterone to be observed.