Dietary chloride and bicarbonate as determinants of desoxycorticosterone hypertension.

In uninephrectomized rats given desoxycorticosterone (DOC) and a fixed amount of dietary sodium, we sought to determine if the anionic component of the sodium salt consumed could be a pathogenetic determinant of the occurrence and maintenance of hypertension. After two weeks, mean arterial pressure (MAP) in rats given DOC and NaCl was significantly greater than in rats given DOC and NaHCO3, or NaCl without DOC. Replacing dietary NaCl with a near equimolar amount of NaHCO3 corrected the hypertension. Replacing dietary NaHCO3 with a near equimolar amount of NaCl induced hypertension. These findings could not be attributed to changes in caloric intake, weight gain, or external balances of sodium or potassium. These findings demonstrate that, in rats given DOC and a fixed amount of dietary sodium, the anionic component of the sodium salt consumed can determine the occurrence, progression, and reversal of hypertension.