Gender difference in water excretion and vasopressin secretion in response to chronic high dose alcohol exposure

• Published in: The FASEB journal Vol. 21; no. 6; p. A1418
• Main Authors: Uyehara, Catherine F T, Hernandez, Claudia A, Hashiro, Glenn M, Somponpun, Suwit J, Sato, Aileen K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 2007
• ISSN: 0892-6638; 1530-6860
• DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.21.6.A1418-b

Gonadal steroids are believed to play a role in the regulation of vasopressin (VP). We therefore hypothesized that there may be a gender difference in the VP regulation of fluid handling in response to prolonged alcohol‐induced diuresis. Thus, we examined the ability of adult male (n=12) and female (n=7) Sprague Dawley rats to excrete a water load (2% body weight i.g.) after being fed either a control liquid diet or a high dose alcohol diet (17 ml/kg/d) for 4 to 6 weeks. Control diet fed female rats exhibited a greater water load excretion than male controls (p<0.05), consistent with the premise that estrogens exert an inhibitory effect on VP. High dose alcohol‐fed male rats did not exhibit a decrease in water load excretion as we had previously observed with a lower chronic alcohol dose (3 ml/kg/d), indicating the male rat’s inability to adequately produce a compensatory response at the higher alcohol dose. In contrast, alcohol‐fed females did show a decrease in water load excretion, which corresponded with increased plasma VP levels (p<0.05) in the alcohol‐fed females that were not seen in the alcohol‐fed males. Results suggest that females may have a better ability than males to maintain long term fluid balance when chronically exposed to alcohol.
Supported by US Army Medical Command.