Short exposure to high salt in drinking solution leads to a cardiovascular phenotype of hypertension without changes in the blood volume of rats

Abstract

New Findings What is the central question of this study? Is the cardiovascular phenotype of high blood pressure observed in rats salt loaded with 2% NaCl in drinking solution a blood volume‐dependent hypertension? What is the main finding and its importance? Animals exposed to 2% NaCl drinking solution develop hypertension, with dominance of sympathetic outflow and high [Na+] in the cerebrospinal fluid, but without changes in the blood volume. The phenotype of salt‐dependent hypertension might be related to accumulation of [Na+] in the cerebrospinal fluid, which makes it an interesting animal model in which to study the neuronal pathways involved in control of the circulation in osmotic challenge conditions. Abstract Evidence suggests that hypertension induced by high salt intake is correlated with an autonomic imbalance that favours sympathetic hyperactivity and an increase in vascular resistance, indicating a neurogenic component to this pathology. Although there are several animal models in which to study salt‐induced hypertension with prolonged exposure to a high‐sodium diet, here we sought to investigate whether the increase in arterial blood pressure of rats subjected to a short exposure to high salt, with 2% NaCl drinking solution instead of water, relies on changes in the circulating blood volume. Male Wistar rats were divided randomly into three groups: euhydrated (EU, n = 10), salt loaded (SL, n = 13) and water deprived (WD, n = 6). The SL rats exhibited a significant increase in mean arterial blood pressure, with a large low‐frequency component of systolic arterial blood pressure variability, when compared with the EU group. Circulating blood volume did not differ between SL and EU rats, but it was lower in WD rats. Compared with EU rats, the [Na+] in cerebrospinal fluid was higher in SL rats and similar in magnitude to the WD rats. Plasma [Na+] did not differ between SL and EU rats, but it was higher in WD rats. Collectively, our data suggest that the hypertension induced by a short exposure to high salt intake closely resembles a neurogenic mechanism, but not a blood volume‐dependent mechanism, with cumulative [Na+] in the cerebrospinal fluid that could be associated with changes in the neurochemistry of autonomic nuclei, which are highly susceptible to osmotic stress related to high salt consumption.