Pressor hyperresponsiveness in saline-infused rabbits.

Conscious rabbits infused intravenously (i.v.) with isotonic saline at 1.5 to 1.8 ml/min for 24 hours had greater pressor responses to norepinephrine (NE) than did normal control rabbits. Infusion of the angiotension II (ANG II) antagonist [Sar1, Ile8] ANG II did not decrease the exaggerated pressor responses to NE in saline-infused rabbits. Measurements of cardiac output (CO) as well as the pressor responses to NE before and after saline infusion revealed that, although saline infusion increased the CO and decreased total peripheral resistance (TPR), CO did not change during NE infusion either before or after saline infusion, but NE produced significantly greater increases in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and TPR after saline infusion than before the saline infusion. The cross-circulation of blood at 10 ml/min for 5 minutes between saline-infused donor rabbits and normal recipient rabbits resulted in pressor hyperresponsiveness to NE in the normal recipients. Similar cross-circulation experiments between pairs of normal rabbits did not alter the pressor responses to NE. These studies provided direct evidence that expansion of body fluid volumes by saline infusion results in pressor and vascular hyperresponsiveness. There was no evidence to indicate that ANG II was involved in the mechanisms producing this pressor hyperresponsiveness. Some circulating hormonal factor, however, was involved in mediating the pressor hyperresponsiveness following saline infusion. The results of this study are compatible with the concept that natriuretic hormone may play a role in promoting pressor hyperresponsiveness in saline-expanded animals.