| pubmed-article:2531054 | pubmed:abstractText | 1. The influence of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension on brain atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in rats was investigated to elucidate the role of central ANF in a renin-independent model of experimental hypertension. 2. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to uninephrectomy and given either tap water or saline [1% (w/v) NaCl] to drink plus weekly injections of either saline or DOCA (25 mg/kg, subcutaneously). After 32 days, the rats were decapitated and 18 different brain nuclei were removed by a micropunch technique. 3. The systolic blood pressure of the DOCA-salt rats was significantly higher than that of control rats [154 +/- 3 mmHg vs 104 +/- 2 mmHg (20.53 +/- 0.40 kPa vs 13.86 +/- 0.27 kPa), P less than 0.001]. 4. Plasma ANF levels were significantly (P less than 0.01) higher in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats compared with control rats. 5. In DOCA-salt hypertensive rats, the ANF content was increased in the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (31.4 +/- 2.1 vs 22.1 +/- 2.5 pg/mg of protein, P less than 0.05), the subfornical organ (32.5 +/- 5.0 vs 24.2 +/- 2.4 pg/mg of protein, P less than 0.05), the medial amygdaloid nucleus (49.0 +/- 6.4 vs 34.0 +/- 2.0 pg/mg of protein, P less than 0.05) and the locus coeruleus (86.9 +/- 4.1 vs 64.4 +/- 4.2 pg/mg of protein, P less than 0.01) compared with control rats. The ANF content of 14 other brain areas investigated did not alter after treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) | lld:pubmed |
