Abstract
Summary
Acute ip administration of graded doses of the parasympathomimetic agent, pilocarpine, to female rats increased their water intake, urine output and urinary sodium excretion rate in a graded fashion. Of the three responses, urine output and urinary sodium excretion rate increased on administration of a dose of pilocarpine that had minimal effect on water intake. Chronic treatment of female rats with either estradiol benzoate (21 and 42 μg/kg/day) or estradiol-17β (6.5 and 16.5 μg/kg/day) attenuated significantly the drinking response to pilocarpine (3 mg/kg, ip) but failed to affect the increase in urine output or urinary sodium excretion rate. The mechanism by which chronic treatment with estrogens attenuates pilocarpine-induced water intake is unknown and awaits additional study.
I thank Miss Charlotte Wright for the graphic illustrations and Mr. Thomas Connor for technical assistance.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.