Physiological mechanisms for thirst in the nonhuman primate

R. J. Wood, E. T. Rolls, B. J. Rolls

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24 Scopus citations

Abstract

The relationship between body fluid deficits and drinking has been investigated in a nonhuman primate. Intravenous sodium chloride infusions (0.93-3.25 M) given to rhesus monkeys caused drinking correlated with increases in plasma osmolality and sodium concentrations. Sucrose infusions (0.3 M in 0.15 M NaCl) also caused drinking while equiosmolal infusions did not. It was found that the drinking threshold corresponded to a 2.3% increase in plasma osmolality. Water deprivation for 24 h caused significant cellular dehydration, as indicated by a 5.8% elevation in plasma osmolity that exceeded the threshold for thirst, and a significant hypovolemia as indicated by a 5.8% elevation in plasma osmolality that exceeded the threshold for thirst, and a significant hypovolemia as indicated by elevated plasma protein and hematocrit values. Intravenous water preloads decreased plasma osmolality and produced a dose-related decrease in subsequent drinking. Infusions that restored plasma osmolality to predeprivation values, reduced intake by 85% Intravenous isotonic saline preloads which abolished the hypovolemia did not have a consistent effect and reduced mean water intakes by only 3.2%. Thus in the rhesus monkey, cellular dehydration is an effective stimulus for thirst, and it is the primary determinant of drinking after water deprivation, used as an example of a natural thirst stimulus. In contrast to findings in nonprimates the extracellular deficit contributes very little to drinking after water deprivation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)R423-R428
JournalAmerican Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology
Volume11
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1982

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Physiology
  • Physiology (medical)

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