Water intake and changes in plasma and CSF composition in response to acute administration of hypertonic NaCl and water deprivation in sheep

Abstract

Water intake and changes in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) composition were measured in response to intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) and intracarotid infusions of hypertonic NaCl solutions and after 48 h of water deprivation in sheep. Significant interindividual differences in dipsogenic sensitivity to i.c.v. NaCl were found, whereas no such differences were observed in response to intracarotid infusion of hypertonic NaCl. In the more sensitive animals, the increase in CSF [Na] at initiation of drinking during i.c.v. infusion did not differ significantly from the increase in plasma [Na] seen at the thirst threshold during intracarotid infusion of 1 M NaCl. The thirst-eliciting infusions of hypertonic NaCl into the carotid arteries were associated with a small, significant, increase in CSF [Na], which however did not differ from that caused by an i.c.v. non-dipsogenic 'control' infusion of a slightly hypertonic (0.154 M) NaCl solution. Water deprivation for 48 h induced increases in CSF and plasma [Na] similar to those observed at the onset of drinking in response to i.c.v. and intracarotid infusions of hypertonic NaCl. However, the dehydrated animals drank about four times the amount of water consumed in response to the separate treatments with hypertonic NaCl. It is concluded that significant interindividual differences in dipsogenic sensitivity to osmotic stimuli are present in sheep, and that these differences may not necessarily be simultaneously expressed on both sides of the blood-brain barrier. The thirst-eliciting effect of intravascular infusion of hypertonic NaCl may be induced without concomitant increase in CSF [Na] and/or osmolality.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)