Vasopressin administration to neonatal rats reduces antidiuretic response in adult kidneys

Neonatal rats who had been given injections of vasopressin on days 1-7 after birth exhibited polyuria as adults. In vivo antidiuresis bioassays demonstrated that their kidneys were deficient in their ability to concentrate urine in response to stimulation with vasopressin. The kidneys also showed a reduction in vasopressin-induced cyclic AMP production, although parathyroid hormone- and calcitonin-induced levels were normal. This suggests a specific deficit in vasopressin receptor-adenylate cyclase function. In contrast, the neonatal treatment had no effect on the sensitivity of the adult vasculature to the hypertensive effects of vasopressin. These results show that short exposures to high levels of vasopressin early in development can produce a long-term defect in vasopressin responsiveness that is specific to the kidney.