DOCA stimulates salt appetite in Zucker rats: Effect of dose, synergistic action with central angiotensin II, and obesity

An enhanced sodium appetite is found in rats by the synergist interaction of peripheral mineralocorticoids, deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA), and central angiotensin II (AngII), the synergy theory. We used obese Zucker rats which have a predisposition to develop hypertension under appropriate salt conditions to examine this synergy response between AngII and different low doses of DOCA on 2% NaCl intake.Obese and lean Zucker rats on low sodium food were treated systemically with 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg/day of DOCA for 3 days, before receiving i.c.v. AngII (10 pmol) on the fourth day. Food, fluid intakes and urine outputs were measured daily throughout. Plasma aldosterone levels were also analysed. Results showed that AngII alone increased water but not salt intake, whereas all three doses of DOCA by themselves enhanced daily salt intake during the treatment period. The lowest dose of DOCA plus AngII did not stimulate an enhanced sodium consumption. The 1 mg/kg was the threshold dose of DOCA for a synergistic response, and with 2 mg/kg DOCA the obese rats consumed nearly 2-fold more hypertonic NaCl solution than the leans. Moreover, obese baseline plasma levels of aldosterone were more elevated than the lean rats.In conclusion, in adult Zucker rats a threshold level of mineralocorticoid is required for the salt stimulating action of central AngII. In the obese rat the synergistic effect is enhanced with higher doses of mineralocorticoid, suggesting that the plasma level of aldosterone could be a prominent factor, which may predispose the obese to salt-sensitivity and, possibly, subsequently to hypertension under appropriate conditions.