Antidiuretic and urinary cyclic AMP response of vasopressin in normal rats and in rats with lithium-polyuria

The antidiuretic and urinary cyclic AMP response to supramaximal vasopressin infusion was studied in normal rats and in rats with lithium-polyuria. The animals were anaesthetized and then infused with a solution designed to produce excessive water diuresis and to lower basal cyclic AMP excretion. In 6 control animals not infused with vasopressin (1) urinary cyclic AMP excretion decreased during the infusion period. Vasopressin infusion (300 muU/min.) consistantly induced antidiuresis in all of 13 control rats (II); but the urinary cyclic AMP response varied individually from a significant increase in 6 animals to either no change or to a decrease in the remaining animals. The antidiuretic response to vasopressin was inhibited by 85% in 10 animals with marked polyuria induced by lithium administration (III). None of the animals in this group showed a significant increase of cyclic AMP excretion in response to vasopressin. The average rate of cyclic AMP excretion, which was equal in the two groups before vasopressin, was signifimantly lower in group III than in group II during vasopressin infusion. It is suggested that the increase in cyclic AMP excretion during vasopressin antidiuresis, although not consistant, most likely reflects hormone-induced changes of intracellular cyclic AMP levels in the renal medulla. Thus, the data suggest that the nephrogenic diabetes insipidus syndrome produced by lithium is associated with a defect in the renal formation of cyclic AMP in response to vasopressin.