Changes in central alpha-adrenoceptors and noradrenaline content after high sodium intake in Sabra salt-sensitive and salt-resistant rats.

Several studies have suggested a correlation between sodium accumulation and the development of hypertension. However, the mechanisms whereby sodium is able to increase blood pressure remain unclear. In the present study, alpha-adrenoceptors and noradrenaline contents have been studied in the cerebral cortex, hypothalamus and medulla oblongata in the Sabra rat strain in order to define their role in the resistance or sensitivity to sodium-induced hypertension. Alpha-Adrenoceptors were defined using the selective ligands 3H-prazosin and 3H-rauwolscine for alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptors, respectively. Under normal sodium diet, alpha 2-adrenoceptor density was higher in cerebral cortex and lower in hypothalamus and medulla oblongata of SBN (salt-resistant) compared to SBH (salt-sensitive) rats. Five weeks of high sodium intake induced a decrease in alpha 2-adrenoceptor density in cerebral cortex and an increase in hypothalamus only in SBN rats. These changes abolished the differences between SBH and SBN rats observed with a normal sodium diet. No changes in density and affinity of alpha 2-adrenoceptors were observed in medulla oblongata of SBN and SBH rats. Density and affinity of alpha 1-adrenoceptors were similar in SBN and SBH rats in all the tissues studied and they were unaffected by the high sodium diet. Noradrenaline contents in cerebral cortex, hypothalamus and medulla oblongata were also similar in the two rat substrains under normal sodium diet, but high sodium intake induced a decrease cerebrocortical noradrenaline content only in SBN rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)