The pressor effect of sodium-volume expansion is calcium mediated

: To investigate the calcium dependence of salt-induced hypertension we concurrently measured blood pressure and serum ionized calcium in conscious normotensive female dogs undergoing five infusions: 1) sodium chloride (0.9%) 2) calcium chloride (10 mg/kg), 3) combined sodium chloride and calcium chloride, 4) nicardipine (1 micrograms/kg/min), and 5) combined sodium chloride and calcium chloride in the presence of nicardipine. While saline and calcium chloride infusions individually did not affect blood pressure, saline combined with calcium chloride significantly and consistently raised mean arterial pressure (MAP) (delta MAP = 7 +/- 2 mm Hg, P less than .001 v baseline). Serum ionized calcium (Caio) levels increased within the normal range with the infusion of calcium alone (1.32 +/- 0.03 to 1.48 +/- 0.01 mmol/L, P less than .005). Extracellular Caio rose less with the combined NaCl-CaCl2 infusion (delta Caio 0.10 +/- 0.01 v 0.16 +/- 0.02 mmol/L, P less than .02). The difference in calcium elevations could not be attributed to volume expansion alone, since saline infusion itself did not affect serum ionized calcium (1.32 +/- 0.3 to 1.31 +/- 0.01 mmol/L, P = NS). Furthermore, nicardipine prevented the pressor effect of the combined saline-calcium infusion. (delta MAP = -2 +/- 3 v 7 +/- 2 mm Hg, P less than .001), and restored the rise in extracellular Caio to that seen with the nonpressor calcium infusion (delta Caio 0.15 +/- 0.01 mmol/L v 0.16 +/- 0.02 mmol/L, P = NS). Altogether, these data demonstrate that the rise in blood pressure and ionized calcium following an acute infusion of sodium and calcium chloride are interdependent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)