Vasopressin and oxytocin levels during normal pregnancy: effects of chronic dietary sodium restriction

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Neurohypophysial hormones are thought to be involved in alterations in fluid balance during pregnancy and delivery. In the course of normal pregnancy intravascular volume is increased whereas sodium restriction is thought to reduce plasma volume and cardiac output. In the present study, we measured the effect of long-term severe sodium restriction on vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) levels during normal pregnancy and after delivery. Fifty-nine healthy nulliparous women were randomized either for a low sodium diet (20 mmol sodium daily) or for a normal diet from week 12 of pregnancy onwards. Circulating plasma levels and urinary excretion of AVP and OT, their neurophysins (Np-AVP and Np-OT) and AVP bound to platelets were determined at regular intervals during pregnancy and after delivery. After completion of the study, women on a sodium-restricted diet were compared with control women on a normal diet using repeated measurement ANOVA with adjustment for potentially confounding variables. After randomization, a reduction in urinary sodium excretion of, on average, 40–82% was found. In general, no effect of sodium restriction could be demonstrated on the various parameters (0·53<PP=0·018) For all parameters, clear changes were found in the course of pregnancy and puerperium (PPJournal of Endocrinology (1997) 152, 345–354

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: