Endocrine control of salt and water excretion : the role of vasopressin in DOCA-salt hypertension

Arginine-vasopressin (AVP), the antidiuretic hormone, not only regulates water balance but may also exert direct and indirect effects on blood pressure by influencing systemic vascular resistance and body fluid volumes. Recently, specific competitive antagonists of AVP at its vascular and tubular receptors have been described. We used d(CH2)5Tyr(Me) AVP, a vascular (V1) antagonist, and d(CH2)5-D-Tyr(Et) VAVP, a vascular and tubular (V1V2) antagonist, for studies on the role of AVP in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension. The antagonists were infused intravenously via osmotic minipumps in unilaterally nephrectomized rats for 6 weeks after the beginning of the DOCA-salt treatment. At the end of the experiment, blood pressure was 15 mm Hg lower in the rats receiving the V1 antagonist than in those in which the vehicle was infused. In the rats receiving the V1V2 antagonist, blood pressure was reduced by 38 mm Hg. However, these rats were in poor general condition and gained no body weight. Their plasma sodium concentration was markedly increased throughout the duration of the experiment. These results suggest that AVP contributes to the development of DOCA-salt hypertension not only through its vascular but also through its renal tubular effects. Thus AVP may act as an impormediator of volume changes associated with alterations in sodium intake or excretion and thereby affect blood pressure.