Substance P injected into the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus causes antidiuresis through the release of arginine-vasopressin in water-loaded and ethanol-anesthetized rats.

The effects of injection of substance P (SP) into the hypothalamic supraoptic vasopressinergic nucleus (SON) in water-loaded and ethanol-anesthetized rats were examined. Substance P and its analog [D-Pro2, D-Trp7,9]SP induced marked decreases in urine outflow, with a ED50 value of approx. 0.4 and 0.9 nmol, respectively. The antidiuresis of SP was inhibited by a prior injection of [D-Arg1, D-Trp7,9, Leu11]SP (spantide), an SP-receptor antagonist into the SON. After the injection of SP, urine osmotic pressure was increased by threefold, and the urine level of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) was elevated by 70-fold. The effects of SP and [D-Pro2, D-Trp7,9]SP were completely blocked by pretreatment with an intravenous injection of d(CH2)5-D-Tyr(Et)VAVP, an AVP (V1V2)-receptor antagonist. A prior injection of atropine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist, inhibited the effect of [D-Pro2, D-Trp7,9]SP, but not that of SP. The results suggest that SP, injected into the SON, causes antidiuresis through the release of AVP. A possible mechanism for the antidiureses induced by SP and [D-Pro2, D-Trp7,9]SP is discussed.