Mechanism of Pressor Effects of Intraventricular Injection of Angiotensin II in the Rat: Role of Vasopressin and Renal Nerves
1. The role of the kidney and vasopressin in the increase of blood pressure obtained when angiotensin II is injected intraventricularly into rats has been investigated. 2. Intraventricular injection of angiotensin II led to a significant increase in blood pressure in the control and all sham-operated rats compared with that in unilaterally nephrectomized, one-kidney denervated rats and bilaterally nephrectomized rats. The degree of increase in blood pressure in unilaterally nephrectomized, one-kidney denervated rats was equal to that in bilaterally nephrectomized rats. 3. The increase in blood pressure in the bilaterally nephrectomized rats lasted significantly longer than that in the control and unilaterally nephrectomized, one-kidney denervated rats. 4. In the bilaterally nephrectomized rats plasma vasopressin was still higher 30 min after the intraventricular injection of angiotensin II than that of the control and unilaterally nephrectomized, one-kidney denervated rats. 5. These results suggest that the rise in blood pressure observed after intraventricular injection of angiotensin II is due partly to stimulation of the renal sympathetic nervous system and partly to increase in plasma vasopressin concentration.