Mineralocorticoid pretreatment enhances angiotensin II-induced neuronal excitation but not salt drinking in male Fischer rats

Central administration of angiotensin (Ang) II stimulates thirst and sodium intake via the AT-1 receptor. Mineralocorticoid pretreatment enhances Ang II-induced drinking of hypertonic salt solutions (i.e. the synergy theory) in Wistar and Sprague-Dawley rats. Electrophysiological experiments using iontophoretic application of Ang II, and the AT-1 receptor specific nonpeptide antagonist losartan, have shown excitation of neurones in the preoptic/medial septum region of urethane anaesthetised male Wistar rats. Deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) pretreatment further enhanced this neuronal excitation to Ang II and reduced the responses to losartan. This generated the hypothesis that DOCA-enhanced Ang II-induced neuronal excitation was necessary for the enhanced salt intake of synergy theory. We tested this hypothesis in Fischer 344 rats that are known to have a low basal salt appetite and reduced sensitivity for i.c.v. Ang II. We compared the effect of DOCA pretreatment on i.c.v. Ang II-induced water and 2% NaCl intake in behaving adult male, Fischer rats, as well as preoptic/medial septum region neuronal responses to Ang II and losartan, using a seven-barrelled micro-iontophoretic electrode sealed to a recording electrode in urethane anaesthetised, male Fischer rats. Two groups were used: one pretreated with DOCA (0.5 mg/day for 3 days) and the other comprising controls, treated with isotonic saline. Ang II applied iontophoretically increased activity in 31% of the spontaneously active neurones. Following DOCA pretreatment, the responsiveness to Ang II (when applied after aldosterone) was increased. By contrast, in the behaving animals, water and 2% NaCl intake in response to i.c.v. Ang II were not enhanced by DOCA pretreatment. These results do not support the working hypothesis but could be interpreted as evidence for the existence of two separately modulated central Ang II systems: one responding to mineralocorticoids with increased neuronal activity and the other responsible for the Ang II-induced sodium appetite in conscious rats.

Gender and obesity influence sodium intake and fluid regulation in Zucker rats following repeated sodium depletions

The Zucker obese rat is an important model for the metabolic syndrome, which includes renal disease and salt-sensitive hypertension, suggesting abnormalities of body fluid regulation. Here, in Zucker rats, lean and obese, and of both sexes, we compared 48 h of sodium intake and fluid regulation responses with repeated depletions with furosemide to repeated control saline injections. Increased urine volume excretion was observed after each furosemide administration for the 4 groups and obese rats excreted more than the leans on the control days. Male obese rats did not excrete sodium nor increase intake of 2% NaCl following the first furosemide administration, whereas the other 3 groups did. Subsequent depletions increased 2% NaCl consumption and urinary sodium excretion in all groups. Males excreted more sodium in their urine than the females on the control days. Females showed an increase in 2% NaCl intake on control days. Water intake increased in the female leans after each depletion, increased in the males after the 2nd and 3rd depletion and increased in the obese females only after the 2nd depletion. These findings show clearly that there are gender- and weight-related differences in the response of Zucker rats to furosemide-induced depletion. However, the main differences occurred with the first depletion. With repeated depletions the rats adjusted sodium and fluid intake and excretion so that differences due to gender and body weight tended to disappear. Our findings caution against drawing conclusions about differences due to gender and body weight based on single treatments.

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) depletion in neurons of the suprachiasmatic nuclei affects the AVP content of the paraventricular neurons and stimulates adrenocorticotrophic hormone release

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) produced in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) plays a role in establishing neuroendocrine rhythms and, in particular, in regulating the corticotrope axis rhythm. It has recently been shown that AVP from SCN inhibits corticosteroid release. In order to investigate the influence of suprachiasmatic AVP on the different peptidergic systems through the hypothalamus, SCN neurons containing AVP were functionally lesioned by using toxins associated with a cytotoxic monoclonal antibody (MAb) raised against AVP. Six days later, the AVP contents and AVP mRNA were measured in different hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic sites. Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) concentration was also measured in plasma. Microinjection of the AVP-MAb/toxin mixture into SCN brought about a significant decrease in the AVP expression in SCN. This is demonstrated by the decrease in the AVP immunoreactive content (24%, P < 0.01) and the decrease of AVP hybridized mRNA (33%, P < 0.01). This points to the efficiency of the microinjection in decreasing the production of AVP in the injection area. Modifications of the AVP contents in the two subdivisions of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) were also observed. AVP contents decreased in the parvocellular subdivision (pPVN); this is coherent with the AVP depletion in SCN since pPVN is the major site of the SCN hypothalamic efferences. AVP content and AVP mRNA increased in the magnocellular subdivision (mPVN); this also confirms the difference in AVP synthesis regulation according to the PVN subdivisions. The microinjection did not modify AVP expression in supraoptic nuclei or oxytocin (OT) immunoreactive content in the main hypothalamic OT containing sites. Plasma ACTH values were double (P < 0.02) the values measured under non-specific IgG treatment 10 hr after lights on. This probably resulted from the stimulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal system since corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA increased simultaneously by 24% (P < 0.05) in the PVN and the immunoreactive CRH content of the median eminence significantly decreased (26%, P < 0.05). Overall, our data confirm that AVP produced in the SCN inhibits the CRH-adrenocorticotrope axis in normal conditions, probably because of SCN projections of AVP neurons on the PVN.

Alteration of pituitary-adrenal responses to adrenalectomy by the immunological targeting of CRF neurons

We previously demonstrated that cellular toxins added to a cytotoxic IgG2a monoclonal antibody to corticotropin releasing factor (CRF-MAb) may specifically penetrate some hypothalamic CRF neurons, after central injection near the paraventricular nuclei. We attempt here to evaluate the consequential effects on the CRF neurons functioning. Such a toxic mix, 4 weeks after its central injection, caused a marked reduction (66%) of the chronic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) release in response to a bilateral adrenalectomy (7th day). This change was accompanied by a reduction in the CRF concentration (43%) measured in the median eminence. We concluded that specific internalization of toxins, by the way of CRF-MAb, leads to a long-term dysregulation of the CRF synthesis and/or neuronal transport.

Monoclonal antibodies to oxytocin: production and characterization

To induce a good immune response to oxytocin (OT) we developed a two-step technique to conjugate OT to thyroglobulin (TG) using glutaraldehyde. We obtained 30 hybridomas recognizing OT-ovalbumin conjugates and 16 stable lines. Three monoclonal antibodies were selected for further characterization. One of them (O13) was found very specific for OT using three different techniques (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, radioimmunoassay and immunohistochemistry); it is directed to the C-terminal tripeptide. The other two probably recognize tyrosine containing epitope(s) also shared by vasopressin and other related nonapeptides.