Thermal dehydration-induced thirst in rats: role of angiotensin II

Dehydration can be brought about by either water deprivation or by heat exposure (thermal dehydration). Angiotensin II has been shown to have a role in water deprivation-induced thirst. The current study was designed to determine whether angiotensin II is involved in thirst caused by thermal dehydration. Male Sprague-Dawley strain rats were dehydrated by exposure to a 40 degree C environment for 2-4 h or by water deprivation for 44 h. Water deprivation but not heat exposure significantly increased plasma renin activity. Neither ureteric ligation nor nephrectomy significantly altered water intake after thermal dehydration. Captopril, an inhibitor of angiotensin converting enzyme, given at a dose of 100 mg/kg ip, significantly decreased water intake in water-deprived rats but not in thermally dehydrated rats. Angiotensin II therefore does not appear to play a role in the control of water intake of thermally dehydrated rats. The physiological responses to dehydration in rats are dependent on the way in which the dehydration is brought about.