Antidipsogenic effect of intracranial injections of substance P in rats

1. The effect on water intake of intracranial injections of Substance P was studied in the rat. 2. Substance P strongly inhibited drinking elicited by Angiotensin II, Carbachol water deprivation or sodium chloride load, in that order. 3. The peptide was particularly effective when water intake was induced by injections of Angiotensin II into the preoptic area. In these experiments, drinking was inhibited by doses of Substance P as low as 1 ng. 4. The results suggest that in the rat Substance P may play a role in the brain in the regulation of water intake, acting as a thirst inhibitor.