The charted and the uncharted waters of hyponatremia.

It was observed that hyponatremia has been evaluated by many studies of patients and laboratory animals. In virtually all of these the presence of nonosmotic ADH has been shown, but several details of this relationship remain controversial at this time. The role of specific receptor areas for ADH stimulation requires further study, particularly in the hyponatremia of a decreased effective arterial blood volume. In addition, it will be important to define the suspected vascular effects of nonosmotic ADH more specifically. Other areas of uncertainty include: the degree to which the tubular effect of ADH in hyponatremia may be modified by a decreased delivery of fluid to the loops of Henle; the potential stimulation of ADH by stress in clinical hyponatremia; and the meaning of very low or non-measurable concentrations of ADH in hyponatremia. New experimental tools such as vasopressin antagonists and agonists, measurements of baroreceptor input, and tests of proximal fluid reabsorption can be expected to clarify some of these questions in the near future.