The association of thirst, sodium appetite and vasopressin release with c-fos expression in the forebrain of the rat after intracerebroventricular injection of angiotensin II, angiotensin-(1-7) or carbachol.

The effect intracerebroventricular injections of angiotensin II (0.1 nm), angiotensin-(1-7) (1 or 100 nm) and carbachol (500 ng) on c-fos expression was examined in the forebrain of Lister hooded rats. Intense staining of the c-Fos protein was found in the median preoptic nucleus, organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, subfornical organ, paraventricular nucleus and supraoptic nucleus after angiotensin II and carbachol Angiotensin II caused significantly more c-fos expression in the ventral median preoptic nucleus and organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis than carbachol, whereas in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei this was reversed, with carbachol having a greater effect on c-fos expression in these areas. Angiotensin-(1-7), however, only induced c-Fos protein in the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis and median preoptic nucleus with the number and the intensity of staining of the nuclei significantly less in both areas than after angiotensin II or carbachol. Separate groups of Lister rats were given i.c.v. injections of the same substances at the same doses, but excluding the lower dose of angiotensin-(1-7), and the intakes of water and 1.8% NaCl over 60 min were measured. Angiotensin II stimulated intakes of both water and NaCl. The effect on water intake was almost immediate (<1 min), whereas NaCl intake did not usually start until at least 5 min after injection. Over 60 min, water (12.4 +/- 1.0 ml) and NaCl (4.2 +/- 0.9 ml) intakes were significantly greater than water (1.1 +/- 0.2 ml) and NaCl (0.6 +/- 0.5 ml) intakes of the controls. Carbachol caused less drinking than angiotensin II, the water intake over 60 min being significantly less (4.8 +/- 0.7 ml) and the latency of response greater (>5 min). Carbachol, unlike angiotensin II, had little effect on NaCl intake (0.7 +/- 0.4 ml). Angiotensin-(1-7) had no effect on water (1.1 +/- 0.3 ml) or NaCl (0.3 +/- 0.3 ml) intakes. The plasma levels of vasopressin were measured after i.c.v. injection of the same three substances in the same doses, again excluding the lower dose of angiotensin-(1-7), in further groups of rats. Angiotensin II and carbachol caused an approximate five-fold increase in plasma vasopressin levels compared to cerebrospinal fluid-injected rats, but angiotensin-(1-7) had no effect on vasopressin release. Therefore, three compounds with widely differing effects on thirst, sodium appetite and vasopressin release induce distinctive patterns of c-fos protein expression in the forebrain. By combining experimental approaches in this way it is possible to determine areas of the brain which are involved in certain behavioural and endocrine responses.