DDAVP(1-desamino-8-D-arginine-vasopressin) treatment of lithium-induced polyuria in the rat

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Abstract
The antidiuretic responses of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and 1-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) were studied in rats with marked Li-polyuria (about 100 ml/100 g per 24 h) induced by administration of Li to the diet for 3-4 mo. The hormones were infused i.v. and s.c. at a constant rate for 7 days using implantable osmotic minipumps. Body weight, food consumption, urine volume and osmolality were recorded daily. Whereas supramaximal doses of AVP only had little effect on spontaneous urine flow and osmolality, DDAVP (0.1 .mu.g/h i.v. or 1 .mu.g/h s.c.) restored urine volume and osmolality to near-normal values. Although the mechanism of the antidiuresis evoked by DDAVP was not investigated, the ability of this compound to reverse AVP-resistant polyuria may be due to its specificity and high intrinsic activity in stimulating the vasopressin receptor. The reversibility of Li-induced impairment of renal concentrating ability caused by excessive hormonal stimulation is not immediately compatible with the recent hypothesis that Li-polyuria may reflect irreversible structural kidney damage.