Role of volume status in vasopressin-induced natriuresis: studies in Brattleboro rats

The influence of volume status on the effect of physiological doses of vasopressin on sodium excretion was assessed in anaesthetized Brattleboro rats. Following a 1 h control period, animals were divided into four groups. Group 1 (control) rats were kept in water balance throughout (by adjustment of the rate of i.v. glucose infusion) and received no vasopressin. In group 2 rats, vasopressin (20 microU/min) was infused i.v. for 2 h, then withdrawn during the following 2 h; the vasopressin-induced antidiuresis and subsequent return to water diuresis were matched by appropriate changes in the i.v. infusion, thus maintaining water balance. In this group, vasopressin had no effect on sodium excretion. Group 3 rats received the same dose of vasopressin, but the infusion rate of the glucose solution was not reduced; consequently these rats became water-loaded. In this group, sodium excretion increased significantly during vasopressin infusion, and rapidly returned to baseline values when the vasopressin was discontinued. Group 4 rats were treated in the same way as group 3 animals except that the vasopressin infusion was maintained (but without additional water loading) for a further 2 h; this did not prevent the fall in sodium excretion during the final 2 h of the experiment. We conclude that the natriuretic effect of physiological levels of vasopressin reported elsewhere may be dependent on an accompanying acute volume expansion during infusion of the hormone.