CHANGES IN SALT AND WATER DISTRIBUTION, BLOOD PRESSURE, AND ADRENAL ACTIVITY FOLLOWING NEUROHYPOPHYSEAL DENERVATION IN THE RAT

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Abstract
Diabetes insipidus was induced by stereotaxic placement of a small lesion in the supraopticohypophyseal tract at the median eminence of the hypothalamus. The presence of diabetes insipidus was indicated by a polyuric response to an imposed salt load which, even with rigid selection criteria, occurred in a high percentage of lesion-bearing animals. In some animals the polyuric response was observed as early as the second postoperative day. No sign of remission was observed within the 4 week period of observation. Extracellular fluid volume and calculated extracellular sodium were increased in the diabetic rats. Basal blood pressure was reduced while sensitivity to norepinephrine and to pitressin was enhanced. The lesion was followed also by a reduction in gonadotrophic activity as indicated by a marked reduction in testis size.