Relationship between plasma osmolality and plasma vasopressin in human subjects

The relationship between plasma osmolality (pOsm) and plasma vasopressin (pAVP) was studied in 13 human subjects during dehydration. The fit of linear, log-linear, parabolic, and exponential models was tested. For all of the data, the nonlinear models had the best fit. However, when individual differences in either gain or threshold were allowed for, the linear models were better than log-linear models. Finally, analyses were made with individual data points. Linear models had the best fit in half of the subjects, whereas for the others the parabolic model gave the best fit. For those subjects investigated in the low range of the osmoregulatory curve, a linear relationship was found, whereas, for those having the most pronounced increase in pOsm, the most significant improvement was found with the parabolic model. This finding indicates that the relationship is not stable during dehydration in the whole range and that hypovolemia probably can influence the secretion rate and/or metabolic clearance rate and thereby the relationship.