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Changes in blood pressure and dipsogenic responsiveness to angiotensin II during chronic exposure of rats to cold

Conference · · FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States)
OSTI ID:5376017

To assess the role of the renin-angiotensin (RA) system in the development of cold-induced hypertension in rats, systolic blood pressure (SBP), plasma renin activity (PRA), and the dipsogenic responsiveness to s.c. administration of angiotensin II (AII) were measured weekly for 4 weeks. SBP increased significantly during the third week of exposure to cold (5C), compared to warm-adapted controls. A significant increase in SBP occurred during the third week of cold. In contrast, (PRA) increased within the first week of cold, and declined thereafter to reach the level of the control by the third week. By the fourth week, PRA decreased to a level significantly below that of control. The dipsogenic responsiveness to acute administration of AII increased significantly by the third week of cold and remained significantly elevated during the fourth week. There was a significant direct relationship between dipsogenic responsiveness to AII and SBP in the cold-treated but not the control group. There was also a significant indirect linear relationship between PRA and dipsogenic responsiveness to AII. Cold-treated rats had significant increases in urinary norepinephrine output and weights of heart, kidneys, adrenals, and brown adipose tissue. Thus, the results suggest, but do not prove, either that the elevation of blood pressure under these conditions may be induced by changes in the RA system. The results suggest further that the reduction in the drinking response to AII accompanying increases in PRA may be related to changes in the regulation of central receptors for AII.

OSTI ID:
5376017
Report Number(s):
CONF-9104107--
Journal Information:
FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States), Journal Name: FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States) Vol. 5:4; ISSN 0892-6638; ISSN FAJOE
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English