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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 92/5/913    most recent expphysiol.2007.037358v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by de Magalhães-Nunes, A. P. Articles by Reis, L. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by de Magalhães-Nunes, A. P. Articles by Reis, L. C.

¹ Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biology, UFRuralRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil ² Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil ³ Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA ⁴ Department of Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Veterinary, UFRuralRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil

We investigated the effects of chronic administration of sertraline (SERT; 20 mg kg^–1 day^–1 in drinking water), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, on water and sodium intake and on plasma levels of oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) in basal and stimulated conditions. Basal water intake was reduced in SERT-treated rats. After 24 h of water deprivation, rats treated with SERT for 21 days ingested less water than the control rats (9.7 ± 0.5 versus 20.0 ± 0.9 ml, respectively, at 300 min after water presentation, P < 0.0001). Subcutaneous injection of 2 M NaCl or isoproterenol evoked a lower dipsogenic response in rats treated with SERT for 21 days. Fluid and food deprivation also induced a weaker dipsogenic response in SERT-treated rats (1.6 ± 0.5 versus 10.2 ± 1.2 ml, at 300 min, P < 0.0001) but had no effect on saline intake. Sodium depletion induced a higher natriorexigenic response in the SERT group (5.6 ± 1.3 versus 1.2 ± 0.3 ml, at 300 min, P < 0.0002). Higher urinary density and lower plasma sodium levels were observed after SERT treatment. Sertraline also increased plasma levels of vasopressin and oxytocin (AVP, 2.65 ± 0.36 versus 1.31 ± 0.16 pg ml^–1, P < 0.005; OT, 17.16 ± 1.06 versus 11.3 ± 1.03 pg ml^–1, P < 0.0009, at the third week post-treatment). These data constitute the first evidence that chronic SERT treatment affects water and sodium intake in rats. These effects seem to be related to the hyponatraemia caused by the higher plasma levels of AVP and OT.

(Received 20 February 2007; accepted after revision 14 June 2007; first published online 15 June 2007)
Corresponding author D. Badauê-Passos, Jr: 11 Seashore Hall E, Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. Email: daniel-passosjunior{at}uiowa.edu