THE CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECT OF VASOPRESSIN IN RELATION TO ITS PLASMA CONCENTRATION IN MAN AND ITS RELEVANCE TO HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

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Abstract
The cardiovascular response and the changes of plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) concentration following graded doses of AVP infused i.v. were defined in 6 normal young men. The same measurements were also made during fluid deprivation in a patient with both nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and systemic hypertension. When, following AVP infusion, mean diastolic arterial pressure increased from 72 .+-. 3 mmHg (SEM [standard error of the mean]) to 78 .+-. 2 mmHg (SEM) in the normal subject group, mean plasma AVP increased by 14.5 fmol/ml. When the patient was deprived of water, diastolic pressure increased, despite the fluid loss, from 90 to 105 mmHg with a comparable increase of plasma AVP concentration of 15.3 f[femto]mol/ml. Further increases of plasma AVP concentration in either the normal subjects or in the patient were not associated with further increments of arterial pressure. Under pathophysiological circumstances in man, plasma AVP concentrations may achieve levels which have a significant cardiovascular effect.