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In salt-resistant phenotypes, chronic elevated dietary sodium intake evokes suppression of renal sodium-retaining mechanisms to maintain sodium homeostasis and normotension. We have recently shown that brain G[alpha]i2 protein pathways are required to suppress renal sympathetic nerve activity and facilitate maximal sodium excretion during acute intravenous volume expansion in Sprague-Dawley rats. Here, we studied the role of brain G[alpha]i2 proteins in the endogenous central neural mechanisms acting to maintain fluid and electrolyte homeostasis and normotension during a chronic elevation in dietary salt intake. Naive or bilaterally renal denervated adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive an intracerebroventricular scrambled or G[alpha]i2 oligodeoxynucleotide infusion and then subjected to either a normal salt (0.4%) or high-salt (8.0%) diet for 21 days. In scrambled oligodeoxynucleotide-infused rats, salt loading, which did not alter blood pressure, evoked a site-specific increase in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus G[alpha]i2 protein levels and suppression of circulating norepinephrine content and plasma renin activity. In salt-loaded rats continuously infused intracerebroventricularly with a G[alpha]i2 oligodeoxynucleotide, animals exhibited sodium and water retention, elevated plasma norepinephrine levels, and hypertension, despite suppression of plasma renin activity. Furthermore, in salt-loaded bilaterally renal denervated rats, G[alpha]i2 oligodeoxynucleotide infusion failed to evoke salt-sensitive hypertension. Therefore, in salt-resistant rats subjected to a chronic high-salt diet, brain G[alpha]i2 proteins are required to inhibit central sympathetic outflow to the kidneys and maintain sodium balance and normotension. In conclusion, these data demonstrate a central role of endogenous brain, likely paraventricular nucleus-specific, G[alpha]i2-subunit protein-gated signal transduction pathways in maintaining a salt-resistant phenotype.

(C) 2013 American Heart Association, Inc.