Plasma vasopressin, renin, and catecholamines during nitroprusside-induced maternal and fetal hypotension in sheep.

The release of vasopressin, renin, and catecholamines by the fetus during either maternal or fetal hypotension was examined in chronically catheterized fetal lambs. Nitroprusside was infused intravenously for 1 h into seven pregnant ewes (maternal hypotension) or nine fetal lambs (fetal hypotension); the rates were adjusted to achieve a 15 to 30% decrease in mean blood pressure. During maternal hypotension, mean +/- SE vasopressin in maternal plasma increased from 1.2 +/- 0.2 pg.ml-1 to 208 +/- 153 pg.ml-1 and plasma renin activity increased from 1.5 +/- 0.3 ng.ml-1.h-1 to 6.6 +/- 1.6 ng.ml-1.h-1. Fetal vasopressin and plasma renin activity also increased during the same interval from 1.1 +/- 0.3 to 16.9 +/- 7.5 pg.ml-1 and 3.7 +/- 1.1 to 10.5 +/- 2.85 ng.ml-1.h-1, respectively; but no changes were observed in fetal blood pressure, heart rate, or acid base status. During fetal hypotension, mean vasopressin in fetal plasma increased from 4.3 +/- 3.4 pg.ml-1 to 1054 +/- 772 pg.ml-1, plasma renin activity increased from 5.7 +/- 2.2 ng.ml-1 to 22.2 +/- 7.1 ng.ml-1.h-1, and total catecholamines from 174 +/- 58 pg.ml-1 to 810 +/- 416 pg.ml-1. There was no change in fetal heart rate, acid base status, osmolality, or sodium concentration. The fetus became and remained hypertensive for at least 1 h after the end of infusion. This prolonged hypertension was associated with elevated levels of vasopressin and plasma renin activity. Peak vasopressin levels were proportional to the total nitroprusside dose in both the ewe and fetus (maternal r = 0.796, fetus r = 0.870).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)