Fluid retention after oral loading with water or saline in camels

Abstract

When dehydrated camels are offered water they drink volumes of water exceeding their body water loss during the water deprivation period. The excess water is excreted during 2-4 days. To investigate the ability to retain fluid in the body, normohydrated camels were loaded with water or isotonic saline (0.1 l/kg body wt) by esophageal tube. After water loading plasma osmolality decreased and a water diuresis was seen, but it took 3 days until the body weight returned to prehydration level. Plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) increased, but plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentration did not change. After the saline loading plasma osmolality increased and total plasma proteins and hematocrit decreased. Renal Na excretion increased 4 h after the saline load, but the magnitude of the natriuresis was small, and the camels had not regained their body weight 6 days after the load. PAC and PRA decreased after saline loading, while plasma ANP concentration did not change. These data show that camels are able to retain excess water within the body and to tolerate blood hyposmolality for a relatively long time. With saline the retention of fluid lasts even longer despite an attenuation of PAC.