Age-related changes in body fluid volumes in young spontaneously hypertensive rats

Abstract

We have measured total body water (TBW, by dessiccation), extracellular fluid volume (ECF, Na2(35)SO4 space), and plasma volume (PV, radioiodinated serum albumin space) in 5-sec-butyl-5-ethyl-2-thiobarbituric acid and sodium salt (Inactin)-anesthetized spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats aged 12-60 days. Interstitial fluid volume (ISF) was calculated as ECF minus PV. Changes in TBW, ECF, and ISF were largely a function of age in both strains, which is typical of developing mammals. Further analysis revealed that although these volumes were significantly larger in SHR before 25 days of age, after 30 days no difference existed between the strains. Before 25 days of age, when SHR's TBW was expanded, no weight difference was seen between the strains. However, once TBW was normalized (after 30 days), WKY was significantly heavier than SHR. The ISF volume was preferentially enlarged in SHR, although PV was also periodically greater. ISF normalized at the time when blood pressure becomes significantly higher in SHR, when (as we have previously reported) plasma aldosterone falls to WKY values in SHR and when renal function is approaching adult levels. Thus the return of ECF (ISF) to normal values may be a result of decreased aldosterone-dependent volume retention or to diuresis induced by increasing blood pressure in an animal whose renal function is close to maturity.