Salt appetite and the renin-angiotensin system - Effect of oxytocin deficiency

To explore the role of oxytocin in the regulation of salt appetite and blood pressure, we conducted studies in oxytocin gene-knockout mice and determined (1) blood pressure and heart rate during day and night periods, (2) salt appetite after iso- osmotic volume depletion, and (3) salt appetite and blood pressure after central injection of angiotensin II. Long-term arterial catheters were inserted, and blood pressure and heart rate were recorded for 24 hours. There was a modest decrease in blood pressure and heart rate in knockout mice. Salt appetite was measured with a 2-bottle choice (water and 2% NaCl), with measurement of licking activity. Mice were injected subcutaneously with 30% polyethylene glycol (0.5 mL), and voluntary intakes were measured for 24 hours. Knockout mice consumed 3 times the amount of NaCl than did controls, 276 +/- 77 vs 90 +/- 38 licks/24 h (P < 0.05). Water consumption was similar between groups. Angiotensin II (5, 50, and 200 ng/3 μL) injected intracerebroventricularly produced dose-related increases in intake, with no differences between the groups. The 50-ng dose of angiotensin II elicited salt and water intakes of 151 +/- 43 vs 160 +/- 33 licks and 250 +/- 53 vs and 200 +/- 51 licks, respectively (control vs knockout). The pressor response to angiotensin II was not different between the groups. Results suggest that oxytocin plays a role in the regulation of blood pressure and salt appetite, specifically as mediated by volume receptors, and that the renin-angiotensin system is not involved in these changes.