Excess dietary salt intake excites central sympathetic networks, which may be related to
plasma hypernatremia. Plasma hypernatremia also occurs following water deprivation (WD).
The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that WD induces hypernatremia and
consequently augments sympathetic and pressor responses to sympathoexcitatory stimuli in
rats and humans. Sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and arterial blood pressure (ABP)
responses to sciatic afferent nerve stimulation (2–20 Hz) and chemical stimulation of the …

PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that WD induces hypernatremia and consequently
augments 47 sympathetic and pressor responses to sympathoexcitatory stimuli in rats and
humans. 48 METHODS: Sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and arterial blood pressure (ABP)
responses to 49 sciatic afferent nerve stimulation (2-20 Hz) and chemical stimulation of the
rostral ventrolateral 50 medulla (RVLM) were assessed in rats after 48h of WD and
compared to normally hydrated 51 control rats (CON). In a parallel randomized-crossover …