Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1995 Aug 15;92(17):7902–7906. doi: 10.1073/pnas.92.17.7902

Oxytocin mediates atrial natriuretic peptide release and natriuresis after volume expansion in the rat.

M A Haanwinckel 1, L K Elias 1, A L Favaretto 1, J Gutkowska 1, S M McCann 1, J Antunes-Rodrigues 1
PMCID: PMC41254  PMID: 7644511

Abstract

Our previous studies have shown that stimulation of the anterior ventral third ventricular region increases atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) release, whereas lesions of this structure, the median eminence, or removal of the neural lobe of the pituitary block ANP release induced by blood volume expansion (BVE). These results indicate that participation of the central nervous system is crucial in these responses, possibly through mediation by neurohypophysial hormones. In the present research we investigated the possible role of oxytocin, one of the two principal neurohypophysial hormones, in the mediation of ANP release. Oxytocin (1-10 nmol) injected i.p. caused significant, dose-dependent increases in urinary osmolality, natriuresis, and kaliuresis. A delayed antidiuretic effect was also observed. Plasma ANP concentrations increased nearly 4-fold (P < 0.01) 20 min after i.p. oxytocin (10 nmol), but there was no change in plasma ANP values in control rats. When oxytocin (1 or 10 nmol) was injected i.v., it also induced a dose-related increase in plasma ANP at 5 min (P < 0.001). BVE by intra-atrial injection of isotonic saline induced a rapid (5 min postinjection) increase in plasma oxytocin and ANP concentrations and a concomitant decrease in plasma arginine vasopressin concentration. Results were similar with hypertonic volume expansion, except that this induced a transient (5 min) increase in plasma arginine vasopressin. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that baroreceptor activation of the central nervous system by BVE stimulates the release of oxytocin from the neurohypophysis. This oxytocin then circulates to the right atrium to induce release of ANP, which circulates to the kidney and induces natriuresis and diuresis, which restore body fluid volume to normal levels.

Full text

PDF
7902

Images in this article

7904Fig. 3
on p.7904
7904Fig. 4
on p.7904
7905Fig. 5
on p.7905

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Antunes-Rodrigues J., Machado B. H., Andrade H. A., Mauad H., Ramalho M. J., Reis L. C., Silva-Netto C. R., Favaretto A. L., Gutkowska J., McCann S. M. Carotid-aortic and renal baroreceptors mediate the atrial natriuretic peptide release induced by blood volume expansion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Aug 1;89(15):6828–6831. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.15.6828. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Antunes-Rodrigues J., Marubayashi U., Favaretto A. L., Gutkowska J., McCann S. M. Essential role of hypothalamic muscarinic and alpha-adrenergic receptors in atrial natriuretic peptide release induced by blood volume expansion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Nov 1;90(21):10240–10244. doi: 10.1073/pnas.90.21.10240. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Antunes-Rodrigues J., McCann S. M., Samson W. K. Central administration of atrial natriuretic factor inhibits saline preference in the rat. Endocrinology. 1986 Apr;118(4):1726–1728. doi: 10.1210/endo-118-4-1726. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Antunes-Rodrigues J., Picanco-Diniz D. W., Favaretto A. L., Gutkowska J., McCann S. M. Brain atrial natriuretic peptide neurons play an essential role in volume expansion-induced release of atrial natriuretic peptide and natriuresis. Neuroendocrinology. 1993 Dec;58(6):696–700. doi: 10.1159/000126611. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Antunes-Rodrigues J., Ramalho M. J., Reis L. C., Menani J. V., Turrin M. Q., Gutkowska J., McCann S. M. Lesions of the hypothalamus and pituitary inhibit volume-expansion-induced release of atrial natriuretic peptide. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Apr 1;88(7):2956–2960. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.7.2956. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Baldissera S., Menani J. W., dos Santos L. F., Favaretto A. L., Gutkowska J., Turrin M. Q., McCann S. M., Antunes-Rodrigues J. Role of the hypothalamus in the control of atrial natriuretic peptide release. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Dec;86(23):9621–9625. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.23.9621. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Charles C. J., Tang F., Cameron V. A., Richards A. M., Espiner E. A. Intracerebroventricular atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) antiserum inhibits volume-induced ANF in sheep: evidence for the brain's regulation of ANF secretion. Endocrinology. 1991 Oct;129(4):2225–2230. doi: 10.1210/endo-129-4-2225. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Chinkers M., Garbers D. L., Chang M. S., Lowe D. G., Chin H. M., Goeddel D. V., Schulz S. A membrane form of guanylate cyclase is an atrial natriuretic peptide receptor. Nature. 1989 Mar 2;338(6210):78–83. doi: 10.1038/338078a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Conrad K. P., Gellai M., North W. G., Valtin H. Influence of oxytocin on renal hemodynamics and sodium excretion. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1993 Jul 22;689:346–362. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1993.tb55559.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gutkowska J., Horký K., Thibault G., Januszewicz P., Cantin M., Genest J. Atrial natriuretic factor is a circulating hormone. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1984 Nov 30;125(1):315–323. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(84)80370-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Harms P. G., Ojeda S. R. A rapid and simple procedure for chronic cannulation of the rat jugular vein. J Appl Physiol. 1974 Mar;36(3):391–392. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1974.36.3.391. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Jacobowitz D. M., Skofitsch G., Keiser H. R., Eskay R. L., Zamir N. Evidence for the existence of atrial natriuretic factor-containing neurons in the rat brain. Neuroendocrinology. 1985 Jan;40(1):92–94. doi: 10.1159/000124058. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mendelsohn F. A., Allen A. M., Chai S. Y., Sexton P. M., Figdor R. Overlapping distributions of receptors for atrial natriuretic peptide and angiotensin II visualized by in vitro autoradiography: morphological basis of physiological antagonism. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 1987 Aug;65(8):1517–1521. doi: 10.1139/y87-239. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Palkovits M., Eskay R. L., Antoni F. A. Atrial natriuretic peptide in the median eminence is of paraventricular nucleus origin. Neuroendocrinology. 1987 Dec;46(6):542–544. doi: 10.1159/000124878. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Reis L. C., Ramalho M. J., Favaretto A. L., Gutkowska J., McCann S. M., Antunes-Rodrigues J. Participation of the ascending serotonergic system in the stimulation of atrial natriuretic peptide release. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994 Dec 6;91(25):12022–12026. doi: 10.1073/pnas.91.25.12022. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Standaert D. G., Needleman P., Saper C. B. Organization of atriopeptin-like immunoreactive neurons in the central nervous system of the rat. J Comp Neurol. 1986 Nov 15;253(3):315–341. doi: 10.1002/cne.902530304. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Stoeckel M. E., Freund-Mercier M. J., Palacios J. M., Richard P., Porte A. Autoradiographic localization of binding sites for oxytocin and vasopressin in the rat kidney. J Endocrinol. 1987 May;113(2):179–182. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.1130179. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Tribollet E., Barberis C., Dreifuss J. J., Jard S. Autoradiographic localization of vasopressin and oxytocin binding sites in rat kidney. Kidney Int. 1988 May;33(5):959–965. doi: 10.1038/ki.1988.94. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Verbalis J. G., Mangione M. P., Stricker E. M. Oxytocin produces natriuresis in rats at physiological plasma concentrations. Endocrinology. 1991 Mar;128(3):1317–1322. doi: 10.1210/endo-128-3-1317. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES