Plasma prolactin levels and body fluid deficits in the rat: causal interactions and control of water intake.

A study was made of the responses of chronically hyperprolactinaemic rats to selected dipsogenic stimuli. Measurements were also made of the correlation between the state of hydration of the animal and the plasma prolactin levels. After 24 h water deprivation. S.C. isoprenaline (10 micrograms/kg body wt.) or I.P. injection (5 ml/kg body wt.) of a hypertonic solution (50% w/w) of polyethylene glycol (mol. wt 20000) there was no difference between the hyperprolactinaemic and control rats with respect to the total water intake, the time course of drinking or the urine output. After I.V. injection of 2 M-NaCl (5 ml/kg body wt.) there was no difference between the hyperprolactinaemic and control rats with respect to the total water intake or urine output. However, the hyperprolactinaemic rats drank more slowly than the controls. When angiotensin II was infused I.V. at a rate of 0.2 micrograms/min, the water intake was greater and the threshold to drinking lower in the hyperprolactinaemic than control rats. After 24 h water deprivation, plasma prolactin levels rose significantly in both the control and hyperprolactinaemic rats. When the rats were injected I.V. with hypertonic saline (5 ml, 2 M-NaCl/kg body wt.) and denied access to water, plasma prolactin levels had not changed 1 h later in either the control or hyperprolactinaemic animals. It is concluded that there is no interaction either between the plasma osmolality and prolactin secretion or between the plasma prolactin levels and the amount of water drunk in response to intracellular fluid deficits. However, prolactin secretion is stimulated by the combined intra- and extracellular deficits resulting from water deprivation and there is a clearly demonstrated interaction between prolactin and the extracellularly mediated stimulus of angiotensin II.