Da. Wigle et al., CHRONIC ETHANOL INGESTION MODIFIES THE RENIN-ALDOSTERONE AXIS INDEPENDENT OF ALTERATIONS IN THE REGULATION OF ATRIAL-NATRIURETIC-PEPTIDE, Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 17(4), 1993, pp. 841-846
Using an animal model, we have investigated the effects of chronic eth
anol ingestion on the regulation of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) s
ynthesis and release. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained for 6 w
eeks on a liquid diet of ethanol (up to 20% v/v) as part of a 2% solut
ion of calf milk replacer. Weight-matched controls received an equal v
olume of ethanol-free solution, and normal animals drank ad libitum. A
ll animals received rat chow throughout the experiment. This model pro
duced physiologically relevant levels of blood ethanol, as concentrati
ons at the time of sacrifice were 171.98 +/- 39.26 mg/dl. Plasma renin
activity was significantly elevated in response to ethanol treatment,
whereas circulating aldosterone concentration was reduced. No alterat
ions in the plasma or atrial tissue levels of ANP were evident, althou
gh we did observe a significant increase in the ventricular tissue lev
els of ANP from 45.1 to 71.8 ng/g as a consequence of ethanol treatmen
t. Levels of both atrial and ventricular ANP mRNA were not different b
etween alcohol-treated and liquid-restricted control animals, although
both groups showed significant increases in the amount of transcript
in comparison with rats drinking ad libitum. No significant increases
in either arterial blood pressure or heart/body weight ratio were obse
rved for ethanol-treated rats. These results suggest that modification
s in the renin-aldosterone axis can occur independently of alterations
in the regulation of ANP under the influence of chronic ethanol inges
tion.