Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Despite early demonstrations that sympathetic activation elevates blood pressure and early clinical inklings that human hypertension may have a psychosomatic component, the pivotal role of the nervous system in human hypertension is only recently being clarified. We studied the effect of nutrition with different salt concentrations on autonomic nervous response.

Method: Eight groups of rats, six in each group, (one male and five female) having 200±20 gr of weight were selected, salt solutions were prepared in concentrations of 0.5, l, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, and 2 percent. Above mentioned salt solutions were given to test groups during pre-pregnancy, Pregnancy and lactation period, The control group used tap water of Isfahan, Another test group consumed distilled water. In order to study autonomic nervous response, 1% body weight of blood was substituted by the same volume of NacI 0.9% containing 1 μg/ml epinephrine and in another subgroup 1% body weight of blood was substituted by the same volume of Nacl 0.9% containing 0.1 μg/ml acetylcholine.

Result: Nutrition with salt solutions higher than 1% during prenatal period lead to an increase in infant’s BP during adulthood, Vascular response to epinephrine in groups which their mothers consumed higher salt concentrations were significantly increased in comparison with control group and other test groups and vascular response to acetylcholine decreased in these groups.

Discussion: Nutrition with excessive amount of salt during prenatal period leads to an increased vascular response to epinephrine which itself was due to heart and vascular changes, heart hypertrophy and an increase in the diameter of media layer. Additionally sodium could increase sympathetic activity and an increase in adrenal hormone release may help to develop hypertension. Vascular response to acetylcholine in groups which their mother consumed higher salt solution decreased and parasympathetic activity may also decreased.