Role of the vasoconstrictor and antidiuretic activities of vasopressin in inhibition of renin secretion in conscious dogs.

Abstract

The nature of the activity of vasopressin that is responsible for the inhibition of renin secretion was studied in normally hydrated conscious dogs using intravenous infusions of vasopressin and analogues of vasopressin with selective antidiuretic and vasoconstrictor activity. Vasopressin (1.0 ng . kg-1 . min-1) increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) from 106 +/- 2 to 115 +/- 3 mmHg (P less than 0.05) and decreased heart rate (HR) from 81 +/- 6 to 56 +/- 5 beats/min (P less than 0.001). Plasma renin activity (PRA) decreased from 4.4 +/- 1.1 to 2.4 +/- 0.8 ng . ml-1 . 3 h-1 (P less than 0.05). A specific antagonist of the vasoconstrictor activity of vasopressin, d(CH2)5MeTyrAVP (10 micrograms/kg), completely blocked the cardiovascular and renin responses to vasopressin. A selective vasoconstrictor agonist, 2-phenylalanine-8-ornithine oxytocin (1.0 ng . kg-1 . min-1), increased MAP from 112 +/- 4 to 128 +/- 6 mmHg (P less than 0.001) and decreased HR from 69 +/- 3 to 47 +/- 4 beats/min (P less than 0.001). PRA decreased from 5.5 +/- 1.1 to 2.7 +/- 0.2 ng . ml-1 X 3 h-1 (P less than 0.001). In contrast, a selective antidiuretic agonist, 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (1.0 ng . kg-1 . min-1) did not alter PRA, MAP, or HR. These results demonstrate that the acute inhibition of renin secretion by vasopressin in normally hydrated conscious dogs is due to vasoconstrictor rather than antidiuretic activity.