Fluid volume and osmoregulation in humans after a week of head-down bed rest

Abstract

Body fluid homeostasis was investigated during chronic bed rest (BR) and compared with that of acute supine conditions. The hypothesis was tested that 6° head-down BR leads to hypovolemia, which activates antinatriuretic mechanisms so that the renal responses to standardized saline loading are attenuated. Isotonic (20 ml/kg body wt) and hypertonic (2.5%, 7.2 ml/kg body wt) infusions were performed in eight subjects over 20 min following 7 and 10 days, respectively, of BR during constant sodium intake (200 meq/day). BR decreased body weight (83.0 ± 4.8 to 81.8 ± 4.4 kg) and increased plasma osmolality (285.9 ± 0.6 to 288.5 ± 0.9 mosmol/kgH2O, P < 0.05). Plasma ANG II doubled (4.2 ± 1.2 to 8.8 ± 1.8 pg/ml), whereas other endocrine variables decreased: plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (42 ± 3 to 24 ± 3 pg/ml), urinary urodilatin excretion rate (4.5 ± 0.3 to 3.2 ± 0.1 pg/min), and plasma vasopressin (1.7 ± 0.3 to 0.8 ± 0.2 pg/ml, P < 0.05). During BR, the natriuretic response to the isotonic saline infusion was augmented (39 ± 8 vs. 18 ± 6 meq sodium/350 min), whereas the response to hypertonic saline was unaltered (32 ± 8 vs. 29 ± 5 meq/350 min, P< 0.05). In conclusion, BR elicits antinatriuretic endocrine signals, but it does not attenuate the renal natriuretic response to saline stimuli in men; on the contrary, the response to isotonic saline is augmented.