Experimental study on the hyperplasia of juxtaglomerular cells under low-dose, long-term administration of calcium chelating agents. Similar to the morphological manifestation of Bartter's syndrome

Chronic angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition enhances renal vascular responsiveness to acetylcholine in anaesthetized rabbits

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether 6 weeks continuous treatment with an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor reduced renal vascular responsiveness in vivo, since this treatment results in extensive phenotypic conversion of afferent arteriolar cells from contractile to endocrine-like, renin secretory cells.

METHODS

Enalapril (10 microg/kg per h s.c.) was delivered continuously for 6 weeks. In anaesthetized rabbits (treated or sham), arterial blood pressure and renal blood flow were measured and renal responsiveness tested by constructing dose-response curves to bolus doses of phenylephrine, angiotensin II and acetylcholine delivered directly into the renal artery.

RESULTS

ACE inhibition resulted in a significant shift to the left in the renal vascular conductance responses to acetylcholine (P < 0.005) and angiotensin II (P < 0.05), indicating enhanced, not reduced, responsiveness to these agents. There were no significant effects of chronic ACE inhibition on the conductance responses to phenylephrine.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrary to our hypothesis, 6 weeks ACE inhibition did not reduce renal vascular responsiveness to three vasoactive agents, suggesting that the phenotypic changes observed in the afferent arterioles and to a lesser extent the interlobular arteries, were either insignificant or compensated for by other changes in renal circulatory control.

Peripolar cells in guinea pigs under experimental hyperplasia of juxtaglomerular cells induced by long-term, low-dose calcium condition

The peripolar cell was described in the glomeruli of sheep by Ryan et al. in 1979 and these cells have subsequently been detected in many species (Ryan et al. 1982; Gall et al. 1986; Hanner et al. 1980). The peripolar cells are located at the junction between the podocytes of the glomerular capillaries and the epithelial lining of Bowmann's capsule, encircling the hilar region of the glomerular tuft. Functionally, the peripolar cells have been considered to be a part of the juxtaglomerular apparatus but the precise nature of the cells has not been identified (Gardiner et al. 1985). Recently, it has been found that an antibody against rat urinary kallikrein reacts positively with sheep peripolar cell (Gall et al. 1984). This finding has led to the suggestion that the peripolar cells may influence the renin secretion through the kallikrein-kinin system. In our experiments with long-term low-calcium condition accompanied with hyperplasia of juxtaglomerular cells the peripolar cells were easily detected. The results suggests that the increase in the number of peripolar cells is closely related to the hyperplasia of juxtaglomerular cells.