Efferent renal nerve activity during intracarotid and intracerebroventricular infusions of hypertonic sodium chloride solutions and isotonic volume expansion in the rat

The change in renal nerve activity under conditions known to increase renal sodium excretion was studied. In adult Sprague Dawley rats, anaesthetized with Inactin®, nor‐motonic and hypertonic NaCl solutions were infused into 1) a vein, 2) a carotid artery and 3) the third ventricle. The left kidney was freed and placed in a plastic cup. A renal nerve was dissected free and placed on a stainless bipolar electrode. The nerve was cut distal to the electrode. The nerve signals were amplified and recorded on a tape recorder. Simultaneously integrated nerve signals and also arterial and venous pressures were recorded. Intracarotid infusion of a 1 M NaCl solution increased sodium output and temporarily decreased renal nerve activitv by some 35%. Corresponding intravenous (i.v.) infusion gave an increase in renal nerve activity and also in sodium output. The latter increase was delayed compared with that caused by the intracarotid infusion. No variations in blood pressure were noted. In control experiments with a slow i.v. infusion of physiological saline, renal nerve activity increased throughout the experiment, while sodium excretion remained constant. During infusion of a 1 M NaCl solution into the third ventricle, renal nerve activity decreased in about half of the cases. This reduction was often accompanied by an increased arterial blood pressure and an increased sodium output. Arterial blood pressure increases were especially pronounced at the highest infusion rate, i.e. 800 nl‐min‐1. Isotonic volume expansion of 2% of the body weight resulted in a transient decrease in renal nerve activity by about 30%. Venous blood pressure rose and sodium output increased six‐fold. The decrease in nerve activity was observed both when the vagal nerves were intact and when they were cut.