title: Effects of L-arginine on angiotensin II-related water and salt intakes.
abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated centrally as an inhibitory neuromodulator, acting in short feedback loops. Neurons capable of NO synthesis have been localized in various thirst-related hypothalamic nuclei. Intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of L-arginine (L-arg), the precursor for NO, has previously been shown to attenuate both dehydration- and angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced drinking behavior. The present study further examines the effects of L-arg on drinking. We confirmed that icv administration of L-arg (50 microg) reduced water intakes induced by both 24 h water deprivation and icv Ang II (250 ng). We additionally showed that L-arg inhibited the water intake induced by peripheral injection of Ang II and the intake of 0.3 M NaCl following 24 h sodium depletion. We demonstrated the behavioral specificity of L-arg treatment by showing that it did not inhibit the intake of sucrose in food deprived rats and did not act as an unconditional stimulus for the formation of a conditioned taste aversion. These results lend further support to the idea that NO plays a role in modulating fluid balance and drinking behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611-2250, USA.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Rowland
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004232:Diuretics / Q000494:pharmacology; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects*; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects*; D005665:Furosemide / Q000494:pharmacology; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012964:Sodium / Q000502:physiology; D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D014868:Water Deprivation / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004232:Diuretics; D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D000804:Angiotensin II; D005665:Furosemide; D001120:Arginine; D012964:Sodium