Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Quantification of Social Behavior in Adult Rats
Published on: December 14, 2014
Increased circulating vasopressin may account for ethanol-induced hypertension in rats
Leonardo B M Resstel1, América A Scopinho, Andréia Lopes da Silva
1Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. leoresstel@yahoo.com.br
Background:
Long-term ethanol intake has been reported to evoke both hypertension and increase of systemic vasopressin levels in rats.
Methods:
In this work, we investigated the involvement of systemic vasopressin in the hypertension evoked in rats by long-term ethanol (20% vol/vol) intake for 2 weeks, by systemic treatment with the V1-vasopressin receptor antagonist dTyr(CH2)5(Me)AVP (50 microg/kg). Moreover, plasma arginine-vasopressin (AVP) content was quantified using an AVP radioimmunoassay and the expression of vasopressin mRNA in the supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular (PVN) nuclei was measured using real-time PCR.
Results:
Mild hypertension was observed after 2 weeks of ethanol treatment when compared with control animals. Moreover, an increase in both the expression of vasopressin mRNA and the vasopressin blood content was observed in ethanol-treated rats in comparison to the control group. Basal blood pressure levels of ethanol-treated animals were significantly reduced by IV treatment with the V1-vasopressin receptor antagonist dTyr(CH2)5(Me)AVP. However, dTyr(CH2)5(Me)AVP had no effect on the blood pressure of control animals.
Conclusions:
The results indicate that mild hypertension is already observed at an early phase of ethanol consumption in rats. Because the content of circulating vasopressin was increased in ethanol-treated rats and their basal blood pressure returned to control levels after IV treatment with a V1-vasopressin receptor antagonist, it is proposed that increased circulating vasopressin content may mediate the hypertension observed in ethanol-treated rats.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Antihypertensive Drugs: Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors
Hypertension II: Pathophysiology
Hormonal Regulation of Blood Pressure
Epinephrine and Norepinephrine
The adrenal medulla releases epinephrine and norepinephrine, catecholamines that enhance and extend the sympathetic or "fight or flight" physiological response. These hormones escalate heart rate and the force of contraction while...
Hormonal Regulation
Hypertension and Regulation of Blood Pressure
Diabetes Insipidus II: Pathophysiology

