Effects of intravenous infusions of vasopressin and angiotensin II on central and peripheral noradrenergic function in conscious rabbits.

Vasopressin (AVP) and angiotensin II (AII) are proposed to exert part of their cardiovascular effects via different actions within the central nervous system. These peptides are also known to alter central noradrenergic function. In the present study we determined the effects of these peptides administered intravenously on norepinephrine (NE) turnover in discrete brain regions thought to be involved in the regulation of circulation, and simultaneously, in various peripheral tissues. An index of NE turnover was determined by measuring the decline in tissue NE concentration 75 min after administration of alpha-methyl tyrosine (240 mg . kg-1 . min-1, i.p.). During NE synthesis blockade, five separate groups of rabbits were infused intravenously (1 h) with either saline, AVP (4 and 16 mU . kg-1 . min-1), AII (0.1 microgram . kg-1 . min-1), or phenylephrine (PE) (5 micrograms . kg-1 . min-1). The low dose of AVP produced an increased index of NE turnover in the median preoptic area and the paraventricular nucleus, and concomitantly, a decreased index of NE turnover in kidney and skeletal muscle. In contrast, AII produced an increased index of NE turnover in the locus ceruleus and the intestine. Neither the infusion of vehicle nor the infusion of phenylephrine, which increased arterial pressure comparable to AVP and AII, produced detectable changes in indices of central and peripheral norepinephrine turnover. A higher dose of AVP produced a different pattern of changes in NE turnover than the low dose. These results demonstrate that intravenous infusion of the low dose of AVP produced changes in noradrenergic function in specific central areas known to be involved in autonomic outflow.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)