Dehydration-Induced Drinking: Peripheral and Central Aspects

摘要

The physiological mechanism that induces water intake in mammals is incompletely understood. At least six distinct stimuli have been used experimentally for this purpose: 1) hypertonic saline; 2) beta-adrenergic agonists, especially isoproterenol; 3) the octapeptide, angiotensin II; 4) polyethylene glycol; 5) parasympathomimetic agents; and 6) dehydration. The diversity of these stimuli and the differences in their responsiveness from different routes of administration suggest the difficulty in ascribing the induction of water intake to a single physiological mechanism. Indeed, with such a basic function as drinking, there is likely more than one underlying mechanism.