Neuroendocrine Regulation of Hydrosaline Metabolism

The present chapter will address some evolutionary, historical, and contemporary perspectives concerning the integrative neuroendocrine control of hydrosaline metabolism, focusing on the major neural and endocrine systems implicated in the control of water and sodium balance. This chapter will bring the readers the new advances on the understanding of how our body controls extracellular fluid volume and osmolality, initiating with the sensory afferent mechanisms and advancing on effector responses accomplished by an integrated action of the renin-angiotensin and autonomic systems, atrial natriuretic peptides, and hypothalamic neurohypophysial hormones. We will also discuss the contribution of transcriptomic analyses to the study of magnocellular neurosecretory function, and also how novel regulators (gaseous modulators, endocannabinoids, and glial cells) have increased the complexity of this already robust network. Finally, the chapter will illustrate how the neuroendocrine regulation of hydromineral balance behaves under normal or pathological life span challenges, such as adaptations in response to fetal programing, sex- and age-related management of water/sodium balances, and physical activity.