Arginine-vasopressin release mediates the aldosterone secretagogue effect of neurotensin in rats.

Acute and chronic systemic administrations of neurotensin (NT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) significantly increases plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) in rats. Deamino-Pen1, Val4, D-Arg8-vasopressin (AVP-A), a potent AVP antagonist, completely reversed both acute and chronic aldosterone secretagogue actions of NT and AVP. AVP-A acute administration did not affect basal PAC, while chronic AVP-A treatment significantly lowered it. Taken together our findings suggest that both NT and AVP exert a marked aldosterone secretagogue effect in rats, and that the mechanism underlying NT action may involve the stimulation of AVP release. Moreover, they indicate that endogenous AVP plays an essential role in the maintenance of the mineralocorticoid secretory capacity of rat zona glomerulosa.