The effect of medetomidine an alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist on plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels haemodynamics and renal excretory function in spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats.

摘要

1. The effects of the selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, medetomidine, were assessed on plasma levels of immunoreactive atrial natriuretic peptide (IR-ANP), haemodynamics and on urine water and solute excretion in conscious, chronically cannulated, 7 month-old spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and age-matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, in order to examine the role of alpha 2-adrenoceptors in the control of ANP secretion. 2. A 60 min i.v. infusion of medetomidine (0.2 or 0.6 microgram kg-1 min-1) decreased heart rate dose-dependently in both strains. Medetomidine infusion (0.6 microgram kg-1 min-1) resulted in an increase in mean arterial pressure in WKY, whereas both doses decreased blood pressure in SHR. There was a slight increase in the right atrial pressure in both strains (WKY: +1.18 +/- 0.26 mmHg; SHR: +1.64 +/- 0.64 mmHg, NS) in response to infusion of 0.6 microgram kg-1 min-1 of medetomidine. 3. No differences were found in resting plasma IR-ANP levels between WKY (114 +/- 8 pg ml-1, n = 19) and SHR (117 +/- 10 pg ml-1, n = 21). Infusion of equibradycardic doses of medetomidine increased dose-dependently plasma IR-ANP levels in WKY, but did not affect the plasma IR-ANP concentration in SHR rats. 4. Despite the different effect of medetomidine on ANP release in WKY and SHR rats, i.v. administration of medetomidine affected renal excretory functions similarly in both strains; urine flow and sodium excretion increased and urine osmolality decreased significantly, while there was no consistent change in urinary potassium excretion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)