Handling of a Salt Load by Hypertensive and Normotensive Rats on Normal and Low Intakes of Sodium

Abstract
The handling of an intraperitoneal salt (NaCl) load (about 10% of body Na) was studied by means of a whole-body counting method using 22Na in four strains of rat: spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY), New Zealand genetically hypertensive rats (GH), and outbred normotensive rats (N). The rats had previously been equilibrated so that their body Na was of the same specific activity as the injected NaCl. The load was given first at 10 weeks of age, while the rats had a choice of water and 0.5% NaCl to drink, and again at 13 weeks when the rats had a choice of water and 0.04% NaCl. All the strains excreted the load more slowly when on the low Na intake. The SHR excreted the load most quickly and the WKY most slowly. There was no difference between the GH and N rats in this respect. The SHR differed from the other strains in having an increased appetite for salt and an increased total body sodium relative to body weight.

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