Abstract

The concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide, arginine vasopressin, aldosterone and the plasma renin activity were studied in male rats with carbon tetrachloride-induced compensated cirrhosis, and the results were compared to those of normal control animals. The rats with cirrhosis exhibited significantly higher plasma renin activity values when compared with the control group. However, plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide and arginine vasopressin were not significantly different in the two groups. Plasma aldosterone concentrations were significantly higher than those found in the normal control group in approximately 50% of the cirrhotic animals, and were equal to or less than the control values in the rest. This dissociation between plasma renin activity and aldosterone values in some of the cirrhotic animals is interesting and parallels observations made in humans with alcoholic cirrhosis. The results suggest that experimentally induced, apparently compensated cirrhosis may be associated with a perceived decrease in effective circulating volume, and that there is no absolute deficiency of atrial natriuretic peptide in this model of cirrhosis.