Sex differences in central adrenoreceptor-mediated vasopressin response to hemorrhage

Hemorrhage-induced changes in the plasma vasopressin concentration and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) were studied in conscious rats of both sexes with and without central alpha 1-adrenoreceptor blockade. Rats were subjected to two sequential hemorrhages (H1 and H2), each 0.8% of body weight after an intracerebroventricular injection of the alpha 1-adrenoreceptor antagonist corynanthine or of vehicle. H1 stimulated vasopressin secretion more in proestrous females than in males; there were no significant sex-related differences in responses to H2. Corynanthine pretreatment attenuated the vasopressin response to H2 in males, potentiated this response in proestrous females, but had no effect in estrous females. MABP decreased after H1 in all female groups and in corynanthine-pretreated males. After H2, all groups were hypotensive to the same extent. These data indicate that central alpha 1-adrenoreceptor-mediated pathways participate in vasopressin and blood pressure responses to hemorrhage, but their role is complex and is dependent on gender and on the phase of the estrous cycle.