Interaction between areas of the central nervous system in the control of water intake and arterial pressure in rats.

Water intake induced by injection of 0.2 M-NaCl into the lateral preoptic area was increased by the injection of angiotensin II into the subfornical organ of rats. The injection of hypertonic saline solution into the subfornical organ increased water intake. However, the increase was lower than when the solution was injected into the lateral preoptic area. The injection of 4 micrograms angiotensin II into the lateral preoptic area further augmented this effect. Injection of angiotensin II into the subfornical organ caused a rise in blood pressure which preceded the thirst-inducing effect. The injection of 0.2 M-NaCl into the subfornical organ caused no changes in blood pressure, whereas the injection of angiotensin II into the lateral preoptic area caused some increase. Dehydration of the lateral preoptic area by means of 0.2 M-NaCl in combination with intravenous infusion of angiotensin II caused a summation of effects in terms of the water intake, without changing cardiovascular alterations induced by the infusion of angiotensin II. A summation of effects in the water intake, but not in blood pressure, was also observed when 0.5 M-NaCl was infused intravenously in combination with the injection of angiotensin II into subfornical organ and into the lateral preoptic area. The results indicate that there are interactions between the subfornical organ and lateral preoptic area in the regulation of cardiovascular and thirst mechanisms.