Anteroventral third ventricle lesions reduce antidiuretic responses to angiotensin II.

Ablation of anteroventral third ventricle (AV3V) periventricular tissue renders animals temporarily adipsic with no compensatory change in urine volume or concentration. The present experiment was designed to determine whether lesions of the AV3V region attenuate vasopressin (AVP) release in response to intraventricular (ivt) injections of angiotensin II (AII), hypertonic NaCl, and phenylephrine during the adipsic period. Blood pressure, urine conductance, and urine flow rate were monitored in awake, unrestrained animals during a continuous intravenous hydrating infusion. Changes in blood pressure and urine parameters were recorded following ivt injections of 100 ng AII, 500 ng AII, 1 microliter 3% NaCl, and 50 microgram phenylephrine. In addition, a radioimmunoassay (RIA) measured AVP following 500 ng AII ivt in lesioned and nonlesioned animals. Antidiuretic and pressor responses to ivt AII were attenuated after AV3V lesions. In addition, RIA analysis showed a significantly smaller concentration of AVP in lesioned animals following AII injections. These data suggest that the AV3V region is important for AVP release in response to central AII and osmotic stimuli.