title: Sex difference in the antidiuretic activity of vasopressin in the rat.
abstract: A possible gender difference in the antidiuretic activity of vasopressin was studied in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Infusion of vasopressin (3-100 pg.kg-1.min) into conscious, chronically instrumented water-loaded rats resulted in a dose-dependent antidiuresis in both male and female rats. Male rats, however, were more than three times more sensitive to vasopressin than female rats. Thus the effective doses of vasopressin (pg.kg-1.min-1) to decrease urine flow to 30 microliters.min-1.100 g-1 (18 +/- 5 in males; 58 +/- 12 in females), to increase urine osmolality to 600 mosmol/kgH2O (35 +/- 5 in males; 119 +/- 15 in females), and to decrease free water clearance to 30 microliters.min-1.100 g-1 (8 +/- 3 in males; 28 +/- 7 in females) were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in males. Furthermore, in vitro studies in papillary collecting duct cells demonstrated a significantly higher density of vasopressin V2 receptors and a greater ability of vasopressin to stimulate adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation in males than in females. Vasopressin V2-receptor density (maximum binding) was 359 +/- 47 and 238 +/- 22 fmol/mg in male and female rats, respectively (P < 0.05). There was no difference in apparent dissociation constants (Kd). Vasopressin resulted in a dose-dependent increase in cAMP accumulation in papillary collecting duct cells, and at the highest concentration of vasopressin used (10(-8) M) cAMP increased from 44 +/- 10 to 182 +/- 51 fmol/micrograms protein in males and from 30 +/- 4 to 91 +/- 18 fmol/micrograms protein in females (P < 0.05). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Renal Pharmacology, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406-0939.
authors.forename: Y X
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nambi
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Stack
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pullen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Share
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Crofton
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Brooks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000494:pharmacology; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004231:Diuresis / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007679:Kidney Medulla; D007685:Kidney Tubules, Collecting / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin / Q000378:metabolism; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin; D014667:Vasopressins; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D000242:Cyclic AMP