Fetal Val108/158Met catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) polymorphism and placental COMT activity are associated with the development of preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between fetal and maternal catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met and methyl tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T functional polymorphisms and preeclampsia, examining its influence on placental COMT and in maternal 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) plasma levels.

DESIGN

Prospective case-control study.

SETTING

University hospital.

PATIENT(S)

A total of 53 preeclamptic and 72 normal pregnant women.

INTERVENTION(S)

Maternal and cord blood samples and placental tissue samples were obtained.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Maternal and fetal COMT and MTHFR polymorphisms were genotyped. Maternal plasma 2-ME and homocysteine levels, and expression and activity of placental COMT were measured.

RESULT(S)

The odds ratio for the risk of preeclampsia for fetal COMT Met/Met was 3.22, and it increased to 8.65 when associated with fetal MTHFR TT. Placental COMT activity and expression were influenced by genotype, but COMT activity in preeclamptic placentas did not differ from control pregnancies. There was no association between any genotypes and maternal 2-ME. Homocysteine levels were higher in women with preeclampsia than in normal pregnancies, and were inversely correlated with 2-ME plasma levels, indicating that its altered metabolism may lower COMT activity in vivo.

CONCLUSION(S)

Fetal Met-Met COMT genotype reduces COMT placental expression and activity in vitro and increases preeclampsia, risk but it does not explain the difference in maternal 2-ME levels between preeclamptic and normal pregnancies. However, the preeclamptic patients had elevated homocysteine levels that correlated inversely with 2-ME, indicating that an altered methionine-homocysteine metabolism may contribute to reduce COMT activity in vivo and explain the decreased levels of 2-ME in preeclamptic women.

2-methoxyestradiol plasma levels are associated with clinical severity indices and biomarkers of preeclampsia

We investigated whether clinical severity indices and biomarkers for preeclampsia (PE) are associated with low plasmatic 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME) in the third trimester of gestation. Blood was collected from 53 women with PE and 73 control pregnant women before parturition. The concentration of 2ME was significantly higher in controls than in patients with PE (2906.43 ± 200.69 pg/mL vs 1818.41 ± 189.25 pg/mL). The risk of PE decreased as 2ME levels increased. The 2ME values were negatively correlated with systolic peak arterial pressure and proteinuria in PE. Additionally, those women with PE with lower 2ME had a more serious clinical situation and needed a more aggressive therapy. Finally, 2ME levels (in patients with PE and total population) were significantly correlated with concentrations of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 and placental growth factor . Summarizing, patients with PE had lower 2ME levels that were correlated with different clinical indices and biomarkers of severity, indicating that 2ME could be taken into account for the clinical management of this syndrome.

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in the renal ischemia/reperfusion injury

Renal ischemia is the most common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) still associated with high mortality rates of about 50% in the intensive care unit. Postischemic AKI is characterized by decreased glomerular filtration rate and high renal vascular resistance with endothelial activation and dysfunction, a process of critical importance that is followed by a reduction in microvascular blood flow mainly affecting the renal outer medulla. The pathophysiology of postischemic AKI remains incompletely understood, although it seems to be a phenomenon of altered renal hemodynamics, linked critically to the production of high amounts of nitric oxide and free radicals. On the other hand, and depending on the severity of renal ischemia, tubular epithelial cells undergo a varying degree of necrosis or apoptosis with tubular obstruction followed by both, anatomical and functional recovery. The way in which vascular and tubular epithelium recover determines the final status of the renal function, ranging from full recovery to chronic renal failure and ultimately to end-stage renal disease. In this review we will revise the mechanisms responsible for these pathophysiologic alterations, including the role of heme oxygenase system and sex differences in the susceptibility to ischemic acute renal failure, and we will also review the pre- and postconditioning phenomena, in which brief episodes of ischemia before (pre-conditioning) or after (post-conditioning) the prolonged ischemia have a protective effect on AKI after reperfusion. Interestingly, these protective responses can be elicited by ischemizing distant tissues (remote conditioning). A better understanding of these mechanisms may help to improve the clinical outcome of those patients.

Effect of tempol on myocardial vascular remodeling in female spontaneously hypertensive rats

OBJECTIVE

The present study evaluated whether the treatment with the superoxide anion dismutase mimetic tempol prevents the worsening in hypertension and in myocardial vascular remodeling induced by ovariectomy in female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).

METHODS

Experiments were performed in ten week old female SHRs randomly assigned to the groups: intact (INT: given vehicle; INT+T: treated with tempol, 90 mg/kg/day), ovariectomized (OVX: vehicle and OVX+T: tempol, respectively) and ovariectomized treated with 17β-estradiol (OVX+E2 and OVX+E2+T). Evolution of systolic blood pressure (SBP) was determined every other week in lightly restrained awake rats using a noninvasive computerized tail-cuff plethysmography system. At 18 weeks of age the heart was excised and structural changes in histopathological sections of coronary vessels were quantified on a computerized imaging system analyzer.

RESULTS

SBP was significantly lower in female SHRs treated with tempol compared to the values measured in untreated animals. In the vascular remodeling of myocardial arterioles, OVX+T rats had a lower media cross sectional area and media-to-lumen ratio than those observed in the OVX SHR. Interestingly, treatment with tempol in the presence of estradiol (in female INT and OVX+E2 SHR ) increased media cross sectional area and wall-to-lumen ratio of myocardial arterioles, despite the fact that it lowered arterial pressure in those groups.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that tempol prevents arterial hypertension and blunts myocardial vascular remodeling in ovariectomized SHR. Paradoxically, when tempol is given in presence of estradiol it has a detrimental effect on myocardial arteriolar remodeling.

Chronic tempol treatment attenuates the renal hemodynamic effects induced by a heme oxygenase inhibitor in streptozotocin diabetic rats

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is induced by oxidative stress and plays an important role in protecting the kidney from oxidant-mediated damage in the streptozotocin (STZ) rat model of type-1 diabetes mellitus (DM-1). HO-derived metabolites, presumably carbon monoxide (CO), mediate vasodilatory influences in the renal circulation, particularly in conditions linked to elevated HO-1 protein expression or diminished nitric oxide (NO) levels. We tested the hypothesis that diabetes increases oxidative stress and induces HO-1 protein expression, which contributes to regulate renal hemodynamics in conditions of low NO bioavailability. Two weeks after the induction of diabetes with STZ (65 mg/kg iv), Sprague-Dawley rats exhibited higher renal HO-1 protein expression, hyperglycemia, and elevated renal nitrotyrosine levels than control normoglycemic animals. In anesthetized diabetic rats, renal vascular resistance (RVR) was increased, and in vivo cortical NO levels were reduced ( P < 0.05) compared with control animals. Acute administration of the HO inhibitor Stannous mesoporphyrin (SnMP; 40 μmol/kg iv) did not alter renal hemodynamics in control rats, but greatly decreased glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow, markedly increasing RVR in hyperglycemic diabetic rats. Chronic oral treatment with the SOD mimetic tempol prevented the elevation of nitrotyrosine, the HO-1 protein induction, and the increases in RVR induced by SnMP in the diabetic group, without altering basal NO concentrations or RVR. Increasing concentrations of a CO donor (CO-releasing molecule-A1) on pressurized renal interlobar arteries elicited a comparable relaxation in vessels taken from control or diabetic animals. These results suggest that oxidative stress-induced HO-1 exerts vasodilatory actions that partially maintain renal hemodynamics in uncontrolled DM-1.

Sex differences in nitrosative stress during renal ischemia

Females. suffer a less severe ischemic acute renal failure than males, apparently because of higher nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and/or lower levels of oxidative stress. Because the renal ischemic injury is associated with outer medullary (OM) endothelial dysfunction, the present study evaluated sex differences in OM changes of NO and peroxynitrite levels (by differential pulse voltammetry and amperometry, respectively) during 45 min of ischemia and 60 min of reperfusion in anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) protein expression and their phosphorylated forms [peNOS(Ser1177) and pnNOS(Ser1417)], 3-nitrotyrosine, reduced sulfhydryl groups (-SH), and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were also determined. No sex differences were observed in monomeric eNOS and nNOS expression, NO, or 3-nitrotyrosine levels in nonischemic kidneys, but renal -SH content was higher in females. Ischemia increased dimeric/monomeric eNOS and nNOS ratio more in females, but the dimeric phosphorylated peNOS(Ser1177) and pnNOS(Ser1417) forms rose similarly in both sexes, indicating no sex differences in nitric oxide synthase activation. However, NO levels increased more in females than in males (6,406.0 ± 742.5 and 4,058.2 ± 272.35 nmol/l respectively, P < 0.05), together with a lower increase in peroxynitrite current (5.5 ± 0.7 vs. 12.7 ± 1.5 nA, P < 0.05) and 3-nitrotyrosine concentration, (28.7 ± 3.7 vs. 48.7 ± 3.7 nmol/mg protein, P < 0.05) in females than in males and a better preserved GFR after ischemia in females than in males (689.7 ± 135.0 and 221.4 ± 52.5 μl·min−1·g kidney wt−1, P < 0.01). Pretreatment with the antioxidants N-acetyl-l-cysteine or ebselen abolished sex differences in peroxynitrite, nitrotyrosine, and GFR, suggesting that a greater oxidative and nitrosative stress worsens renal damage in males.

Acute effects of 2-methoxyestradiol on endothelial aortic No release in male and ovariectomized female rats

The endogenous metabolites of 17beta-estradiol are thought to have protective vascular effects, especially in males and estrogen-deprived females. The present study evaluated the acute in vitro effects of the active metabolite 2-methoxyestradiol on endothelial NO release from ovariectomized female and intact male and female rat aortas. NO was measured electrochemically by differential normal pulse amperometry using carbon fiber microsensors, and also by fluorescence microscopy using 4,5-diaminofluorescein diacetate. 2-Methoxyestradiol alone induced a maintained increase in endothelial NO release in male and ovariectomized rats that was reduced by pretreatment with L-NAME. NO release induced by calcium ionophore alone (A23187) was lower in aortas from ovariectomized rats than from intact females, indicating that estrogen deprivation induces endothelial dysfunction. Pretreatment of aortas with 2-methoxyestradiol potentiated significantly the A23187-induced-NO release in ovariectomized as well as in males, but not in intact females. This potentiation was reduced or abolished by L-NAME. 2-Methoxyestradiol potentiated the vasodilatory effect of A23187 on intestinal arterioles, and also increased intestinal tissular laser-Doppler blood flow signal. These results demonstrate that 17beta-estradiol and its active metabolite 2-methoxyestradiol increase basal aortic endothelial NO production and also cause a potentiation of the calcium ionophore-stimulated NO release in male and ovariectomized, while it has no effects on intact females. 2-Methoxyestradiol appears to be a promising pharmacological agent capable of improving endothelial function in men and postmenopausal women.

2-Methoxyestradiol attenuates hypertension and coronary vascular remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats

OBJECTIVES

Accumulating data provide evidence that some metabolites of 17beta-estradiol are biologically active and mediate multiple effects on the cardiovascular and renal systems. We investigated the effect of 2-methoxyestradiol (an active metabolite of estradiol with non-feminizing activity) on the development of hypertension and myocardial vascular remodeling in male and female ovarectomized SHR.

METHODS

Rats were divided into five groups: intact females, ovarectomized (OVX), OVX+ 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME), control males, and male+2ME. Systolic blood pressure was determined from 10 to 18 weeks. Structural changes in coronary vessels were quantified by an image analyzer. Immunoblotting of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and NADPH oxidase activity were performed on mesenteric arteries.

RESULTS

Treatment with 2ME reduced the increase in systolic blood pressure in male and ovarectomized rats to values not different from those obtained in intact females. Myocardial arterioles and small arteries showed significant increases in wall-to-lumen ratio and perivascular fibrosis in male and ovarectomized rats when compared with intact females. NADPH oxidase activity was increased in mesenteric arteries from males and ovarectomized females as compared with intact females. Finally, the expression of phosphorilated ERK1/2 were significantly higher in mesenteric arteries from male and ovariectomized animals than in those from intact females. Those effects of ovarectomy and gender differences were totally or partially prevented by treatment with 2-methoxyestradiol.

CONCLUSIONS

These data demonstrate that 2-methoxyestradiol protects the vasculature from hypertension-induced myocardial arterial remodeling in male and ovarectomized SHR, and that might be in part related to decreased superoxide generation and ERK1/2 activation.

Transfer of the CYP4A region of chromosome 5 from Lewis to Dahl S rats attenuates renal injury

This study examined the effect of transfer of overlapping regions of chromosome 5 that includes (4A(+)) or excludes (4A(-)) the cytochrome P-450 4A (CYP4A) genes from the Lewis rat on the renal production of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) and the development of hypertension-induced renal disease in congenic strains of Dahl salt-sensitive (Dahl S) rats. The production of 20-HETE was higher in the outer medulla of 4A(+) than in Dahl S or 4A(-) rats. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) rose to 190 +/- 7 and 185 +/- 3 mmHg in Dahl S and 4A(-) rats fed a high-salt (HS) diet for 21 days but only to 150 +/- 5 mmHg in the 4A(+) strain. Protein excretion increased to 423 +/- 40 and 481 +/- 37 mg/day in Dahl S and 4A(-) rats vs. 125 +/- 15 mg/day in the 4A(+) strain. Baseline glomerular capillary pressure (Pgc) was lower in 4A(+) rats (38 +/- 1 mmHg) than in Dahl S rats (42 +/- 1 mmHg). Pgc increased to 50 +/- 1 mmHg in Dahl S rats fed a HS diet, whereas it remained unaltered in 4A(+) rats (39 +/- 1 mmHg). Baseline glomerular permeability to albumin (P(alb)) was lower in 4A(+) rats (0.19 +/- 0.05) than in Dahl S or 4A(-) rats (0.39 +/- 0.02). P(alb) rose to approximately 0.61 +/- 0.03 in 4A(-) and Dahl S rats fed a HS diet for 7 days, but it remained unaltered in the 4A(+) rats. The expression of transforming growth factor-beta2 was higher in glomeruli of Dahl S rats than in 4A(+) rats fed either a low-salt (LS) or HS diet. Chronic administration of a 20-HETE synthesis inhibitor (HET0016; 10 mg.kg(-1).day(-1) sc) reversed the fall in MAP and renoprotection seen in 4A(+) rats. These results indicate that the introgression of the CYP4A genes from Lewis rats into the Dahl S rats increases the renal formation of 20-HETE and attenuates the development of hypertension and renal disease.

Heme oxygenase-1 induction improves ischemic renal failure: role of nitric oxide and peroxynitrite

The present study evaluated the effects of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) induction on the changes in renal outer medullary nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite levels during 45-min renal ischemia and 30-min reperfusion in anesthetized rats. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR), outer medullary blood flow (OMBF), HO and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoform expression, and renal low-molecular-weight thiols (-SH) were also determined. During ischemia significant increases in NO levels and peroxynitrite signal were observed (from 832.1 +/- 129.3 to 2,928.6 +/- 502.0 nM and from 3.8 +/- 0.7 to 9.0 +/- 1.6 nA before and during ischemia, respectively) that dropped to preischemic levels during reperfusion. OMBF and -SH significantly decreased after 30 min of reperfusion. Twenty-four hours later, an acute renal failure was observed (GFR 923.0 +/- 66.0 and 253.6 +/- 55.3 microl.min(-1).g kidney wt(-1) in sham-operated and ischemic kidneys, respectively; P < 0.05). The induction of HO-1 (CoCl(2) 60 mg/kg sc, 24 h before ischemia) decreased basal NO concentration (99.7 +/- 41.0 nM), although endothelial and neuronal NOS expression were slightly increased. CoCl(2) administration also blunted the ischemic increase in NO and peroxynitrite (maximum values of 1,315.6 +/- 445.6 nM and 6.3 +/- 0.5 nA, respectively; P < 0.05), preserving postischemic OMBF and GFR (686.4 +/- 45.2 microl.min(-1).g kidney wt(-1)). These beneficial effects of CoCl(2) on ischemic acute renal failure seem to be due to HO-1 induction, because they were abolished by stannous mesoporphyrin, a HO inhibitor. In conclusion, HO-1 induction has a protective effect on ischemic renal failure that seems to be partially mediated by decreasing the excessive production of NO with the subsequent reduction in peroxynitrite formation observed during ischemia.

Renal ischemia induces an increase in nitric oxide levels from tissue stores

Tissue nitric oxide (NO) levels increase dramatically during ischemia, an effect that has been shown to be partially independent from NO synthases. Because NO is stored in tissues as S-nitrosothiols and because these compounds could release NO during ischemia, we evaluated the effects of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO; an intracellular glutathione depletor), light stimulation (which releases NO, decomposing S-nitrosothiols), and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (a sulfhydryl group donor that repletes S-nitrosothiols stores) on the changes in outer medullary NO concentration produced during 45 min of renal artery occlusion in anesthetized rats. Renal ischemia increased renal tissue NO concentration (+223%), and this effect was maintained along 45 min of renal arterial blockade. After reperfusion, NO concentration fell below preischemic values and remained stable for the remainder of the experiment. Pretreatment with 10 mg/kg nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) decreased significantly basal NO concentration before ischemia, but it did not modify the rise in NO levels observed during ischemia. In rats pretreated with 4 mmol/kg BSO and L-NAME, ischemia was followed by a transient increase in renal NO concentration that fell to preischemic values 20 min before reperfusion. A similar response was observed when the kidney was illuminated 40 min before the ischemia. The coadministration of 10 mg/kg iv N-acetyl-L-cysteine with BSO + L-NAME restored the increase in NO levels observed during renal ischemia and prevented the depletion of renal thiol groups. These results demonstrate that the increase in renal NO concentration observed during ischemia originates from thiol-dependent tissue stores.

Acute renal hemodynamic effects of dimanganese decacarbonyl and cobalt protoporphyrin

BACKGROUND

Heme oxygenase (HO) products have a protective role in acute renal failure (ARF) that may be hemodynamically mediated because the HO-derived carbon monoxide (CO) is an important control system of arteriolar tone. The vascular effects of HO may be caused directly through changes in CO synthesis, and indirectly by alterations in nitric oxide (NO) release. The present study evaluated in vivo the renal effects of a heme oxygenase inhibitor, Co(III)Protoporphyrin (CoPP) alone or in combination with the CO donor dimanganese decacarbonyl (Mn2(CO)10).

METHODS

All drugs were administered into the renal artery of anesthetized rats. Changes in renal cortical nitric oxide concentration were measured in vivo electrochemically.

RESULTS

The intrarenal administration of the CO donor Mn2(CO)10 increased blood carboxyhemoglobin levels (+74%), renal blood flow (+54%), glomerular filtration (+38%), and urinary cGMP excretion (+128%). On the other hand, the inhibition of renal HO with CoPP progressively induced an ARF characterized by a drop in renal blood flow (-77%), glomerular filtration (-93%), and urinary cGMP excretion (-93%). These deleterious effects of HO inhibition on renal function were nearly abolished by supplementing CO with the coadministration of Mn2(CO)10+ CoPP, indicating that they may be caused by inhibition of CO synthesis and the resulting hemodynamic changes. In addition, CoPP lowered the renal cortical NO concentration (-21%) and also decreased the urinary excretion of nitrates/nitrites, while Mn2(CO)10 increased renal NO levels (+20%) and raised the excretion of nitrates/nitrites, suggesting that changes in NO release may contribute to the renal effects of the HO-CO system.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that heme oxygenase-derived CO plays a cardinal role in the control of renal hemodynamics and glomerular filtration.

Role of superoxide in modulating the renal effects of angiotensin II

Angiotensin II is known to stimulate NADPH oxidase-dependent superoxide (O2-) generation, which may contribute to the acute renal vasoconstrictor and antinatriuretic actions of this peptide. To evaluate this hypothesis, the effects of a superoxide dismutase mimetic (tempol) or a NADPH inhibitor (apocynin) on the angiotensin renal actions were studied. Renal cortical nitric oxide (NO) was measured electrochemically in vivo. Tempol increased sodium excretion and NO levels. Apocynin raised renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate, sodium excretion, and NO levels. These results indicate the presence of an endogenous NADPH oxidase-dependent O2- generation that may modulate renal function by scavenging NO. Angiotensin II infusion reduced renal blood flow, glomerular filtration, sodium excretion, and NO levels in a dose-dependent manner. The angiotensin receptor antagonist valsartan, tempol, or apocynin blunted the angiotensin effects on renal excretion and NO, suggesting that angiotensin receptors stimulation induces the NADPH oxidase-dependent O2- generation that might reduce NO bioavailability. This idea is supported by the finding that angiotensin increased O2- generation in renal homogenates, and this effect was prevented by valsartan, apocynin, or tempol. These results indicate that some of the acute renal effects of angiotensin II may be enhanced by an increased NADPH oxidase-derived O2- production that reduces renal NO bioavailability.

N-acetyl-L-cysteine improves renal medullary hypoperfusion in acute renal failure

This study evaluated the effects of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a free radical scavenger, and N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a nitric oxide (NO) synthesis inhibitor, on the changes in renal function, intrarenal blood flow distribution (laser-Doppler flowmetry), and plasma peroxynitrite levels during the acute renal failure (ARF) produced by inferior vena cava occlusion (IVCO; 45 min) in anesthetized rats. Renal blood flow fell on reperfusion (whole kidney by -45.7%; cortex -58.7%, outer medulla -62.8%, and papilla -47.7%); glomerular filtration rate (GRF) also decreased (-68.6%), whereas fractional sodium excretion (FE(Na%)) and peroxynitrite and NO/NO plasma levels increased (189.5, 46.5, and 390%, respectively) after ischemia. Pretreatment with L-NAME (10 microg. kg(-1). min(-1)) aggravated the fall in renal blood flow seen during reperfusion (-60%). Pretreatment with NAC (150 mg/kg bolus + 715 microg. kg(-1). min(-1) iv) partially prevented those changes in renal function (GFR only fell by -29.2%, and FE(Na%) increased 119.4%) and laser-Doppler blood flow, especially in the outer medulla, where blood flow recovered to near control levels during reperfusion. These beneficial effects seen in rats given NAC seem to be dependent on the presence of NO, because they were abolished in rats pretreated with L-NAME. Also, the antioxidant effects of NAC prevented the increase in plasma peroxynitrite after ischemia. In conclusion, NAC ameliorates the renal failure and the outer medullary vasoconstriction induced by ICVO, effects that seem to be dependent on the presence of NO and the scavenging of peroxynitrite.

Role of guanylyl cyclase and cytochrome P-450 on renal response to nitric oxide

The present study evaluated whether inhibition of guanylyl cyclase (GC) with 1H-(1,2,4)oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxaline-1-one (ODQ) and methylene blue (MB) or inhibition of the renal metabolism of arachidonic acid by cytochrome P-450 (CYP450) enzymes with 1-aminobenzotriazole (ABT) and N-hydroxy-N'-(4 butyl-2-methyl phenyl)formamidine (HET0016) alters the renal tubular and vascular effects of a nitric oxide (NO) donor in vivo. Intrarenal infusion of ODQ or MB at a dose of 170 nmol. kg(-1). min(-1) lowered renal blood flow (RBF) by 30 and 15%, respectively; glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by 26 and 18%, respectively; and sodium and water excretion by approximately 35%. In rats pretreated with nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (37 nmol. kg(-1). min(-1)) to block the endogenous production of NO, intrarenal infusion of the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetylcysteine (S-NO-NAC; 50 nmol. kg(-1). min(-1)) increased RBF (18%), sodium (73%), and water excretion (61%). ODQ or MB administration blocked the effect of S-NO-NAC on RBF but not the diuretic and natriuretic response. Pretreatment of rats with ABT or HET0016 also abolished the renal vasodilatory response to the NO donor and reduced its diuretic and natriuretic effect. These results indicate that both activation of GC and inhibition of CYP450 enzymes contribute to the renal vascular actions of NO, whereas the natriuretic and diuretic actions of NO appear to be largely CYP450 dependent.

Role of kinins in the control of renal papillary blood flow, pressure natriuresis, and arterial pressure

The present study evaluated the effects of blocking kinins with the bradykinin B(2) receptor antagonist Hoe140 on the relationship between renal perfusion pressure, papillary blood flow (PBF), and sodium excretion. To determine the relevance of renal kinins in the long-term control of arterial pressure, the effect of a chronic intrarenal infusion of Hoe140 on arterial pressure and sodium balance was also studied. PBF was not autoregulated in volume-expanded rats, and the administration of Hoe140 reduced PBF (-30%) and improved PBF autoregulation. The kinin antagonist also decreased sodium excretion (-35%) and blunted pressure natriuresis with no whole-kidney renal hemodynamic changes. These effects may be mediated through nitric oxide (NO), because in rats pretreated with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, Hoe140 had no additional effects on PBF or pressure natriuresis. A role for NO in mediating the renal response to Hoe140 is also supported by the finding that Hoe140 reduced basal urinary NO(3)(-)/NO(2)(-) excretion (-33%), and it blunted the arterial pressure-induced increase in NO(3)(-)/NO(2)(-) excretion, which is compatible with the idea that the pressure-natriuresis response may be mediated through kinins and NO. The importance of kinins in long-term regulation of arterial pressure is demonstrated by the severe arterial hypertension (172+/-6 mm Hg) induced during the chronic intrarenal infusion of Hoe140 associated with sodium and volume retention. These data suggest that renal kinins and NO may be a part of the renal mechanism coupling changes in arterial pressure with modifications in PBF and sodium excretion, therefore contributing to the long-term control of arterial pressure.

Role of angiotensin II in modulating the hemodynamic effects of nitric oxide synthesis inhibition

This study examined the role of ANG II in modulating the increase of hematocrit and vascular permeability that follows nitric oxide (NO) synthesis blockade, that are contributing to the decrease in cardiac index (CI) in conscious, chronically catheterized rats. Pretreatment with losartan attenuated the N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME)-induced increase in total peripheral resistance by 26% and also blunted the fall in CI (28%) and stroke volume. L-NAME produced an increase in hematocrit (4.5%) and in (125)I-labeled albumin content in the heart and small intestine in untreated rats, but the increase was prevented in rats pretreated with losartan. Furthermore, L-NAME induced a transient increase of plasma protein concentration and tissue intestinal blood flow, which was abolished in rats given losartan. The results of the present study indicate that the systemic hemodynamic responses, the fall in plasma volume, and the increase in albumin escape observed after inhibition of NO synthesis are in part the consequence of unmasking the actions of endogenous ANG II. These data suggest a physiological role for NO by restraint of the vascular actions of the renin-angiotensin system.

Interactions between nitric oxide and renal nerves on pressure-diuresis and natriuresis

The present study examined the effect of renal denervation on the impairment of the pressure-diuresis response produced by nitric oxide synthesis blockade. The experiments were performed in Inactin-anesthetized Munich-Wistar rats. The animals with innervated kidneys had lower baseline values of renal blood flow, GFR, sodium excretion (UNaV), and urine flow (V) than rats with denervated kidneys. Also, renal denervation shifted pressure-diuresis and natriuresis toward lower pressures. A low dose of N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl esther (NAME, 3.7 nmol/kg per min) reduced UNaV and the fractional excretion of sodium (FENa) and blunted pressure-natriuresis only in rats with innervated kidneys, whereas it had no effects in rats with denervated kidneys. A medium dose of NAME (37 nmol/kg per min) lowered FENa only in rats with innervated kidneys. The administration of NAME (37 nmol/kg per min) blunted pressure-diuresis and natriuresis in kidneys with or without the renal nerves, but the effect was more pronounced in rats with innervated kidneys. A high dose of NAME (3.7 micromol + 185 nmol/kg per min) increased UNaV and FENa only in rats with innervated kidneys, whereas it reduced GFR, V, UnaV, and FENa in rats with denervated kidneys. However, pressure-natriuresis and diuresis were blunted by this high dose of NAME independently of the presence or absence of renal nerves. These results demonstrate that renal nerves potentiate the renal effects of low doses of NAME on renal function and pressure-diuresis and natriuresis. However, high doses of NAME abolish pressure-diuresis independently of renal nerves, and the natriuretic effect of NAME in innervated kidneys may be attributed to reflex inhibition of sympathetic tone due to the rise in arterial pressure.

Protective effect of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on the renal failure induced by inferior vena cava occlusion

BACKGROUND

Renal ischemia is produced during orthotopic liver transplantation when the inferior vena cava is clamped above the renal veins (inferior vena cava occlusion [IVCO]), and it often leads to postoperative renal failure. Although free radicals and nitric oxide (NO) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemic renal failure, the effect of free radical scavengers in this model is unknown.

METHODS

The effects of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a free radical scavenger, on the acute renal failure that follows IVCO were evaluated in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. The effect of NO synthesis inhibition with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (NAME) was also studied. Renal vascular endothelial function was tested by infusing acetylcholine (Ach) into the renal artery before the ischemia and during reperfusion.

RESULTS

Renal failure developed during IVCO and persisted during reperfusion in all groups. However, in NAC-pretreated dogs, the glomerular filtration rate recovered progressively, reaching 31% of basal preischemic values 150 min after reperfusion. During reperfusion, fractional excretion of sodium increased above preischemic values only in the control group, which indicates a beneficial effect of NAC and NAME on the tubular dysfunction observed during reperfusion. The renal response to Ach was abolished in control dogs and in animals given NAME during reperfusion, which indicates endothelial dysfunction. However, in NAC-pretreated dogs, the renal response to Ach was preserved during reperfusion.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that NAC ameliorates the renal failure and renal endothelial dysfunction induced by IVCO. This protective effect was abolished by NAME, which suggests that NO is involved in the beneficial effects of NAC. These data also suggest that the use of NAC could be beneficial in ameliorating the acute renal failure observed after orthotopic liver transplantation.

Interactions between nitric oxide and angiotensin II on renal cortical and papillary blood flow

This study examined the role of angiotensin II (Ang II) on the effects of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis blockade on renal cortical and papillary blood flow in innervated and denervated kidneys of volume-expanded Munich-Wistar rats with hormonal influences on the kidney that were held constant by intravenous infusion. Cortical (CBF) and papillary (PBF) blood flow were measured by laser-Doppler flowmetry. A low dose of N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 3.7 nmol x kg[-1] x min[-1]) reduced CBF only in innervated kidneys, and this effect was abolished by subsequent administration of valsartan (an AT1 antagonist). L-NAME 3.7 nmol x kg(-1) x min(-1) improved PBF autoregulation by lowering PBF to the range of 100 to 140 mm Hg of perfusion pressure, and this effect was attenuated or abolished by valsartan in innervated and denervated kidneys, respectively. These results indicate that the cortical and medullary vasoconstriction induced by a low dose of L-NAME are caused by potentiation of the vasoconstrictor influence of renal sympathetic nerves and Ang II. A higher dose of L-NAME (37 nmol x kg[-1] x min[-1]) lowered CBF and PBF in both innervated and denervated kidneys. This effect of L-NAME on the cortical circulation was abolished by valsartan, but this AT1 antagonist had no effect on the medullary vasoconstriction produced by NO synthesis blockade. Therefore, a higher dose of L-NAME induces a renal cortical vasoconstriction through potentiation of the renin-angiotensin system, whereas the fall of PBF seen after L-NAME 37 nmol x kg(-1) x min(-1) seems to be caused primarily by NO suppression. This Ang II potentiation produced by L-NAME in the renal cortex seems to be mediated by AT1 receptors, because it was unaffected by PD123319 (an AT2 antagonist). The results of the present study indicate that NO is an important modulator of the vasoconstrictor influence of Ang II in the renal cortical circulation of the rat. However, although there are some interactions between NO and renal nerves and Ang II on the medullary circulation, the renal medullary vasoconstriction produced by L-NAME appears to be caused primarily by NO suppression, with little influence of the renal vasoconstrictor systems.

Effects of N omega-nitro-L-arginine and N-acetyl-L-cysteine on the reversal of one-kidney, one-clip hypertension

The present study evaluated whether nitric oxide (NO) synthesis blockade or potentiation (with N omega-nitro-L-arginine or N-acetyl-L-cysteine, respectively) modulates the systemic and renal responses to unclipping in anesthetized one-kidney, one-clip hypertensive rats (1K-1C). Cardiac output was measured by thermodilution. In time-control rats, mean arterial pressure (MAP) decreased from 197 +/- 8 mm Hg to 139 +/- 4 mm Hg 3 h after unclipping, and cardiac index (CI) decreased by 35%, with a transient rise in sodium and water excretion and no changes in total peripheral resistance (TPR), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), or renal plasma flow (RPF). Administration of N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (NAME, 10 micrograms/kg/ min) blunted the hypotensive (from 190 +/- 6 mm Hg to 157 +/- 3 mm Hg), diuretic and natriuretic responses and potentiated the decrease in CI (40%) observed after unclipping, whereas TPR increased by 103%. Also, in rats given NAME, GFR and RPF decreased by 20% and 45%, respectively, at the end of the experiment. The effect of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC, 300 mg/kg), a sulfhydryl group donor that may protect NO from free radical destruction by forming an S-nitrosothiol compound, was also evaluated. NAC potentiated the depressor response to unclipping (from 180 +/- 5 mm Hg to 97 +/- 3 mm Hg), and GFR and RPF increased by 80% and 35%, respectively. These effects of NAC appear to be NO dependent, as they were blocked by simultaneous administration of NAME. However, no significant differences were observed among groups in cumulative excretion of sodium and water, demonstrating that the hemodynamic effects of NAME and NAC after unclipping are due to mechanisms other than renal excretory changes. The results of the present study indicate that the cardiovascular depressor effects of unclipping are modulated by endothelium-derived nitric oxide.

Effect of interactions between nitric oxide and angiotensin II on pressure diuresis and natriuresis

The present study examined the effect of an angiotensin II AT1 or AT2 receptor antagonist on the impairment of the pressure diuresis and natriuresis response produced by nitric oxide (NO) synthesis blockade. N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 37 nmol.kg-1.min-1) lowered renal blood flow and reduced the slopes of the pressure diuresis and natriuresis responses by 44 and 40%, respectively. Blockade of AT1 receptors with valsartan increased slightly sodium and water excretion at low renal perfusion pressure (RPP). Blockade of AT2 receptors with PD-123319 had no effect on renal function. The administration of valsartan or PD-123319 to rats given L-NAME had no effect on the renal vasoconstriction induced by NO synthesis blockade. In addition, in rats given L-NAME, valsartan elevated baseline excretory values at all RPP studied, but it had no effect on the sensitivity of the pressure diuresis and natriuresis response. However, the administration of PD-123319 to L-NAME-pretreated rats shifted the slopes of the pressure diuresis and natriuresis responses toward control values, indicating that the impairment produced by NO synthesis blockade on pressure diuresis is dependent on the activation of AT2 angiotensin receptors.

Role of nitric oxide on papillary blood flow and pressure natriuresis

This study examined whether nitric oxide synthesis blockade or potentiation (with N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester [L-NAME] or N-acetylcysteine, respectively) can shift the relations between sodium excretion, papillary blood flow, and renal perfusion pressure. Papillary blood flow was measured by laser Doppler flowmetry. A low dose of L-NAME (3.7 nmol/kg per minute) reduced papillary blood flow only at high arterial pressure (140 mm Hg), but it had no effect on pressure natriuresis. Infusion of 37 nmol/kg per minute L-NAME reduced cortical blood flow by 9% at all perfusion pressures studied, lowered papillary blood flow by 8% and 19% at 120 and 140 mm Hg, respectively, and blunted the pressure-natriuresis response. The administration of 185 nmol/kg per minute L-NAME reduced cortical blood flow by 30% and decreased papillary blood flow by 25% in the range of 100 to 140 mm Hg of arterial pressure. Blockade of nitric oxide synthesis with L-NAME at all doses studied reduced papillary blood flow only at high renal perfusion pressures, but papillary blood flow remained essentially unchanged at low perfusion pressures, thus restoring papillary blood flow autoregulation. N-Acetyl-cysteine (1.8 mmol/kg) increased papillary blood flow by 9% and shifted the relations between papillary blood flow, sodium excretion, and renal perfusion pressure toward lower pressures. This effect of N-acetylcysteine on papillary blood flow was blocked by subsequent L-NAME administration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Mesangial cell immune injury. Hemodynamic role of leukocyte- and platelet-derived eicosanoids

The role of leukocytes and platelets and of leukocyte- and platelet-derived eicosanoids in mediating acute changes in renal and glomerular hemodynamics was assessed in a model of antibody-induced mesangial cell injury in the rat. After a single intravenous injection (6 mg/kg) of the monoclonal antibody (ER4) against the mesangial cell membrane antigen Thy 1, significant decrements in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal blood flow (RBF) were observed at 1 h, and were associated with increments in glomerular LC (+) leukocyte counts and in the synthesis of thromboxane (Tx)B2, leukotriene (LT)B4, and 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE). In rats with immune leukopenia, the rise in glomerular LC (+) leukocytes and in eicosanoid synthesis were abolished and the fall in GFR and RBF after administration of ER4 were completely ameliorated. Likewise, pretreatment of rats with both a thromboxane synthase and a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor also blocked the fall in GFR and RBF and the rise in glomerular synthesis of TxB2 and LTB4 produced by ER4 without changing glomerular LC (+) leukocyte counts. Selective inhibition of thromboxane or 5-lipoxygenase alone only partially ameliorated the decrements in GFR and RBF produced by ER4. In animals with immune thrombocytopenia, the elevated glomerular synthesis of 12-HETE and fall in RBF but not GFR was ameliorated after administration of ER4. The ER4 antibody-induced fall in GFR was mainly caused by a marked decrement in the ultrafiltration coefficient, Kf, which was dependent on TxA2 and 5-lipoxygenase products, since pretreatment of animals with a thromboxane receptor antagonist or with a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor partially ameliorated this decrement. Structural changes such as infiltration of glomerular capillaries by leukocytes and endothelial cell damage may also have accounted for the fall in Kf. These observations indicate that in antibody-mediated mesangial cell injury, infiltrating leukocytes and platelets mediate the changes in renal hemodynamics via synthesis of thromboxane and arachidonate 5-lipoxygenation products.

Effect of renal medullary circulation on arterial pressure

PRESSURE-NATRIURESIS EFFECTS IN HYPERTENSION: Considerable advances have been made in our understanding of pressure-natriuresis and the effects of this mechanism in hypertension. We have shown that in the absence of changes in neural and endocrine factors, sodium and water excretion doubled when arterial pressure was increased by only 10 mmHg. These responses were greatly blunted or obscured by elevations in renal sympathetic tone, infusion of the vasoconstrictors angiotensin and vasopressin or by inhibition of paracrine factors such as eicosanoids and nitric oxide.

EFFECT OF CHANGES ON MEDULLARY BLOOD FLOW

The pressure-natriuresis response is closely associated with changes in papillary blood flow as determined by laser-Doppler flowmetry. In volume-expanded rats, papillary blood flow is not well autoregulated, which results in elevations of vasa recta capillary pressure and renal interstitial fluid pressure. The increased interstitial fluid pressure is transmitted from the medulla to the cortex in the encapsulated organ and is associated with inhibition of sodium transport in the proximal tubule and/or the thin descending loop of Henle of deep nephrons. Selective reductions in medullary blood flow by infusion of the nitric oxide inhibitor N6-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) into the renal medullary interstitial space resulted in decreased interstitial fluid pressure and reduced sodium excretion. The mechanisms by which small elevations in renal interstitial fluid pressure alter tubular sodium reabsorption remain to be determined. PRESSURE-NATRIURESIS EFFECTS IN HYPERTENSIVE RATS: Our studies have also shown that the pressure-natriuresis response is blunted in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) compared to normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. This abnormality is associated with shifts in the relationships among papillary flow, renal interstitial pressure and renal perfusion pressure towards higher pressures. The calcium antagonist nisoldipine corrected the defect in vasa recta hemodynamics in SHR and normalized relationships among sodium excretion, renal interstitial pressure and renal perfusion pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

These studies indicate that sodium and water excretion is very sensitive to small changes in renal perfusion pressure due to associated changes in papillary blood flow, and that alterations in medullary hemodynamics can have an important effect on the relationship between arterial pressure and sodium and water excretion.

Angiotensin II influences the renal hemodynamic response to blockade of thromboxane A2 and prostaglandin H2 receptors

This study was designed to examine the influence of angiotensin II on the renal hemodynamic response to blockade of thromboxane A2 and prostaglandin H2 receptors with SQ29548 (2 mg/kg, i.v. bolus, plus 2 mg kg-1 hr-1 infusion) in anesthetized rats. In control rats without any pretreatment, SQ29548 did not change blood pressure, but increased renal blood flow from 7.0 +/- 0.4 to 7.7 +/- 0.4 ml min-1 g kidney weight-1 (P < .05) and decreased renal vascular resistance from 18.1 +/- 1.0 to 16.2 +/- 0.8 mm Hg/ml min-1 g kidney weight-1 (P < .05). In contrast, SQ29548 was without effect on renal blood flow or renal vascular resistance in rats pretreated with saralasin or captopril to block angiotensin II actions and formation, respectively. SQ29548 also increased renal blood flow and decreased renal vascular resistance in rats pretreated with captopril in which the plasma concentration of angiotensin II was fixed at elevated levels by concurrently infusing the peptide at doses ranging from 5 to 80 ng/min. In this experimental setting, the administration of SQ29548 reduced preglomerular vascular resistance selectively. Because, according to previous studies, SQ29548 does not interfere with the direct vasoconstrictor actions of angiotensin II, the renal vasodilatory effect of SQ29548 in rats with elevated plasma angiotensin II is attributable to interference with the operation of mechanisms of vasoconstriction mediated by activation of thromboxane A2-prostaglandin H2 receptors. We conclude that the status of the renin-angiotensin system is a determinant of the renal vasodilatory response to SQ29548.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of kinin receptor antagonists on renal hemodynamic and natriuretic responses to volume expansion

The role of kinins in the natriuretic and papillary blood flow (PBF) responses to intravenous administration of 0.9% sodium chloride solution equal to 5% of body weight over 30 min was evaluated using a B1-kinin receptor antagonist (des-Arg9, [Leu8]bradykinin, 2.5 micrograms/min i.v.) and a B2-kinin receptor antagonist (D-Arg, [Hyp3,Thi5,8,D-Phe7]bradykinin, 2.5 micrograms/min i.v.). In control rats, PBF increased 43 +/- 5% after the volume expansion with saline. Administration of the B1-kinin receptor antagonist had no significant effect on basal PBF or the rise in PBF produced by volume expansion. In contrast, administration of the B2-kinin receptor antagonist decreased basal PBF by 18 +/- 3% and prevented the rise in PBF during volume expansion. Urine osmolality was lower in the rats treated with the B1-antagonist and higher in rats infused with the B2-kinin antagonist than in control animals after volume expansion (587 +/- 47 and 1,082 +/- 83 vs. 907 +/- 124 mosmol/kgH2O, respectively). The initial natriuretic response during the first 30 min after volume expansion was similar in rats given vehicle or the kinin antagonists. However, cumulative sodium excretion over the 2-h course of the experiment was significantly lower in the rats given the B2-receptor antagonist than in control rats (92 +/- 7 vs. 101 +/- 9% of the administered load). The B1-kinin receptor antagonist had no effect on cumulative sodium excretion; however, glomerular filtration rate was 30% lower in rats receiving the B1-antagonist than in control rats after volume expansion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Genetic heterogeneity and differences in glomerular hemodynamics between inbred colonies of Munich-Wistar rats

DNA fingerprint analysis and renal micropuncture studies were performed in Munich-Wistar rats purchased from Harlan Industries and Simonsen Laboratories to determine whether these rats are genetically heterogeneous and exhibit differences in glomerular hemodynamics. RBF and GFR were similar in rats from both colonies. Glomerular capillary pressure was lower in rats from the Harlan colony (46 +/- 2 mm Hg) than in those from the Simonsen colony (56 +/- 2 mm Hg). The low glomerular capillary pressure in the Harlan rats was primarily due to a lower postglomerular vascular resistance. The estimated whole-kidney ultrafiltration coefficient (Kf) was significantly greater in the rats obtained from the Harlan colony than in those obtained from the Simonsen colony (0.12 +/- 0.03 versus 0.05 +/- 0.01 mL/min/g kidney wt/mm Hg). The DNA fingerprints of the Simonsen rats were different from those of the Harlan rats. These results provide evidence of physiologic and genetic heterogeneity between commercially available inbred strains of Munich-Wistar rats in the United States and suggest that comparison of results with Munich-Wistar rats from different sources may be more difficult than previously recognized.

Effect of clentiazem on arterial pressure and renal function in normotensive and hypertensive rats

The present study evaluated the effects of a new benzothiazepine calcium channel antagonist, clentiazem, on arterial pressure and renal function in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and Munich-Wistar rats (MWR). Administration of clentiazem in doses from 1 to 20 micrograms/kg/min produced dose-dependent increases in sodium and water excretion in MWR, reaching maximum values of 292 and 376% of control, respectively, at the 20-micrograms/kg/min dose. Clentiazem (10 micrograms/kg/min) lowered arterial pressure by 16% and doubled glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in MWR. The rise in GFR was associated with an increase in glomerular capillary pressure of 16 mm Hg, produced by a combination of preglomerular vasodilation and efferent arteriolar vasoconstriction. In SHR, administration of clentiazem (10 micrograms/kg/min) lowered arterial pressure by 30 mm Hg and increased urine flow and sodium excretion by 137 and 200%, respectively. In WKY rats, the same dose of clentiazem decreased arterial pressure by only 10 mm Hg, whereas urine flow and sodium excretion increased 62 and 38%, respectively. A high dose of clentiazem (1 mg/kg bolus plus 1 mg/kg/hr infusion i.v.) lowered arterial pressure by 63 mm Hg in SHR. Renal vascular resistance fell by 39% and there was a 5-fold increase in sodium excretion. In WKY rats, the same dose of clentiazem reduced arterial pressure by 20 mm Hg, but it had no significant effect on sodium excretion. These results indicate that clentiazem increases sodium excretion and GFR in normotensive rats in part by preferentially dilating the renal preglomerular vasculature. This compound is also an antihypertensive agent that lowers arterial pressure and promotes sodium excretion in SHR.

Normalization of pressure-natriuresis by nisoldipine in spontaneously hypertensive rats

This study examined whether the calcium antagonist nisoldipine can shift the relations between sodium excretion, papillary blood flow, renal interstitial pressure, and renal perfusion pressure toward lower pressures in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Mean arterial pressure decreased similarly by 9% and 12% in Wistar-Kyoto and spontaneously hypertensive rats after nisoldipine (0.5 microgram/kg bolus + 0.017 microgram/kg/min). Urine flow and sodium excretion increased by 35% and 24% in Wistar-Kyoto rats after nisoldipine. In contrast, urine flow and sodium excretion rose by 121% and 132% in spontaneously hypertensive rats, and fractional sodium excretion rose from 1.9 +/- 0.3 to 4.2 +/- 0.4%. Control sodium excretion, papillary blood flow, and renal interstitial pressure were significantly lower in spontaneously hypertensive rats than in Wistar-Kyoto rats when compared at similar renal perfusion pressures. Sodium excretion, papillary blood flow, and renal interstitial pressure all increased in spontaneously hypertensive rats after nisoldipine, whereas it had no effect on papillary blood flow or renal interstitial pressure in Wistar-Kyoto rats. The relations among sodium excretion, papillary blood flow, renal interstitial pressure, and renal perfusion pressure were shifted toward lower pressures in spontaneously hypertensive rats given nisoldipine and became similar to those seen in Wistar-Kyoto rats. These results indicate that nisoldipine normalizes the relations among sodium excretion, renal interstitial pressure, papillary blood flow, and renal perfusion pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats perhaps by correcting the defect in renal medullary perfusion associated with resetting of pressure natriuresis in this model of hypertension.

Effect of an angiotensin II and a kinin receptor antagonist on the renal hemodynamic response to captopril

The role of angiotensin II and kinins on the renal cortical and papillary hemodynamic and on the sodium and water excretory responses to converting enzyme inhibition with captopril was examined in euvolemic Munich-Wistar rats. Cortical and papillary blood flows were measured using a laser Doppler flowmeter. Cortical blood flow increased 28% after blockade of angiotensin II receptors with DuP 753 (2 mg/kg i.v., n = 6). Captopril (2 mg/kg i.v., n = 6) had no effect on cortical blood flow in rats pretreated with the angiotensin II antagonist. DuP 753 had no effect on papillary blood flow, nor did it prevent the rise in papillary blood flow produced by captopril (2 mg/kg, n = 6). Infusion of a kinin receptor antagonist, D-Arg, [Hyp3,Thi5,8,D-Phe7]-bradykinin (2.5 micrograms/min i.v.), reduced basal papillary blood flow by 15% and blocked the rise in papillary blood flow produced by captopril. Renal blood flow rose by 11% after DuP 753 (2 mg/kg, n = 6), and subsequent administration of captopril and the kinin antagonist had no effect on renal blood flow. Urine flow and sodium excretion increased after DuP 753, but captopril produced additional increases in urine flow and sodium excretion of 68% and 46% respectively. Fractional sodium excretion rose from 0.85 +/- 0.15% to 1.56 +/- 0.14% after captopril. Infusion of the kinin antagonist returned sodium and water excretion to control levels, but fractional sodium excretion was not significantly altered. Glomerular filtration rate was not altered by DuP 753 or captopril; however, it fell from 1.6 +/- 0.1 to 1.2 +/- 0.1 ml/min/g kidney wt during infusion of the kinin antagonist.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of volume expansion on papillary blood flow and sodium excretion

The present study examined whether changes in plasma oncotic pressure or hematocrit play a role in the redistribution of renal blood flow and the natriuretic response to extracellular fluid volume (ECFV) expansion with saline. Intravenous infusion of saline produced a 46% increase in the flow of red blood cells (RBCs) in the papilla of Inactin-anesthetized euvolemic Munich-Wistar rats (n = 6). This was primarily due to an increase in the number of functional capillaries perfused with moving RBCs, as indicated both by laser-Doppler flowmetry and videomicroscopy. The velocity of RBCs in ascending or descending vasa recta was not significantly altered by the infusion of saline. Plasma volume expansion with a 6% solution of albumin (n = 6) did not increase papillary RBC flow, whereas volume expansion with whole blood produced a 17% increase in the flow of RBCs in the papilla. Sodium excretion after ECFV expansion with saline (n = 6) was greater than that seen after plasma volume expansion with a 6% solution of albumin (n = 5). The results indicate that the rise in papillary RBC flow after ECFV expansion with saline is due to an increase in the number of perfused vasa recta capillaries. The failure of plasma volume expansion to alter papillary RBC flow suggests that changes in plasma oncotic pressure and/or renal interstitial pressure may signal the rise in papillary RBC flow after intravenous infusion of saline. The present study also indicates that laser-Doppler flowmetry is a useful technique to monitor changes in the flow, velocity, and concentration of moving RBCs in tissue.

Effects of DuP 753 on renal function of normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats

This study examined the effects of a new, orally-active, nonpeptide angiotensin II (AII) receptor antagonist, 2-n-butyl-4-chloro-5-hydroxymethyl-1-[2'-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)biph eny l-4- yl)methyl] imidazole, DuP 753, on renal function of anesthetized, volume-expanded Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and in a group of euvolemic Munich-Wistar (MW) rats. Plasma renin activities were similar and averaged 4.4 +/- 0.7 and 4.3 +/- 1.4 ng AI/mL.h, respectively, in the SHR and WKY rats. In WKY rats (n = 15), DuP 753 (2 or 10 mg/kg, intravenously) had no effect on urine flow, sodium excretion, renal blood flow (RBF), or glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Fractional excretion of lithium (FELi) rose from 32 +/- 5 to 40 +/- 4% of the filtered load and arterial pressure decreased slightly from 129 +/- 2 to 122 +/- 2 mm Hg. In SHR (n = 9), urine flow fell 24%, and FELi and RBF increased by 27% and 30%, respectively, after 2 mg/kg DuP 753, but sodium excretion, GFR, and arterial pressure were not significantly altered. A higher dose of DuP 753 (10 mg/kg; n = 8) reduced arterial pressure, urine flow, and sodium excretion in the SHR. RBF increased 34%, while GFR and FELi were not significantly altered. Similar effects were seen in SHR (n = 11), given an equivalent antihypertensive dose of captopril (20 mg/kg). In euvolemic MW rats in which plasma renin activity was elevated to 18.8 +/- 3.3 ng AI/mL.h, DuP 753 (2 mg/kg, n = 7) increased RBF, urine flow, and sodium excretion, while mean arterial pressure and GFR were unaltered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Enhanced vascular tone in the renal vasculature of spontaneously hypertensive rats

The renal microvascular responses of Wistar-Kyoto and spontaneously hypertensive rats to changes in perfusion pressure were compared using a juxtamedullary nephron microvascular preparation perfused in vitro with a physiological salt solution containing 5% albumin. In the spontaneously hypertensive rats, the internal diameters of arcuate and interlobular arteries and the proximal and distal afferent arterioles averaged 307 +/- 26, 52 +/- 2, 24 +/- 0.9, and 22 +/- 1.2 microns, respectively, at 80 mm Hg. They were 18-35% smaller (p less than 0.05) than the corresponding vessels measured in Wistar-Kyoto rats. In low calcium media, the arcuate and interlobular arteries and the proximal and distal afferent arterioles of spontaneously hypertensive rats exhibited a greater dilation than the vessels of Wistar-Kyoto rats. These observations suggest that the diameters of the preglomerular vasculature of the spontaneously hypertensive rats are reduced because of an elevated vascular tone rather than structural changes narrowing the lumen of these vessels. These results suggest that enhanced vascular tone in the preglomerular vasculature of juxtamedullary nephrons may contribute to the elevated renal medullary vascular resistance and resetting of the pressure-natriuretic relation previously observed in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Effect of a chronic infusion of atrial natriuretic peptide on vascular reactivity in normotensive and renal hypertensive rats

In a previous study, we found that a long-term infusion of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) produced a sustained reduction of mean arterial pressure and peripheral vascular resistance in two-kidney, one-clip (2K-1C) hypertensive rats, whereas in control rats it had only a transient effect on cardiac output. However, plasma levels of ANP were actually 3-fold higher in normotensive than in hypertensive rats. Previous studies suggested that plasma ANP levels might modulate the vascular reactivity to the peptide. The present study examined whether the lack of chronic hemodynamic effects of ANP in control rats was due to changes in vascular reactivity to the peptide. In control rats, vascular reactivity to ANP was reduced 50% by a chronic infusion of ANP. However, in 2K-1C hypertensive rats, a long-term infusion of ANP had no effect on the vascular reactivity to ANP. The results of the present study indicate that the lack of persistent hemodynamic effects of a chronic infusion of ANP in control rats may be due to a decrease in the vascular reactivity to the peptide. The sustained hypotensive and vasodilatory effects of a long-term infusion of ANP in 2K-1C hypertensive rats are associated with no changes in the vascular reactivity to ANP.

Hemodynamic effects of long-term converting-enzyme inhibition in renal hypertensive rats

The hemodynamic effects of a converting-enzyme inhibitor (CEI) given during 12 consecutive hours were studied in severe chronic renal hypertensive and normotensive Wistar rats. Hemodynamic parameters were obtained by thermodilution method in conscious unrestrained animals twenty-four hours after surgery. A bolus of CEI induced a significant decrease of mean arterial pressure (MAP) (from 192.2 +/- 8.2 to 163.3 +/- 5.9 mmHg, p less than 0.001) and total peripheral resistance (TPR) (from 7.69 +/- 0.53 to 5.83 +/- 0.33 mmHg.min/ml 100 g) in hypertensive animals. Cardiac index (CI) and heart rate increased significantly (p less than 0.05). Infusion of CEI to hypertensive animals during 12 consecutive hours produced a further progressive decrease in MAP and TPR (p less than 0.05) and an increase in CI (p less than 0.05). Heart rate did not change. Acute and prolonged infusions of CEI to normotensive group induced less but similar effect to those observed in hypertensive group. These results suggest that an increase of the renin-angiotensin system activity is the principal mechanism involved in the maintenance of high blood pressure during chronic phase of renal hypertension on the rats.

Effects of converting-enzyme inhibitor on hemodynamic actions of ANP in renal hypertensive rats

In the present study, we have evaluated whether the hemodynamic effects of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) infusion in two-kidney, one-clip (2K, 1C) hypertensive rats are mediated by inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Hemodynamic determinations were performed by thermodilution in conscious, chronically instrumented animals. ANP (1.5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) and converting-enzyme (CE) inhibitor captopril (1 mg/kg plus 1 mg.kg-1.h-1), produced a similar fall of blood pressure through different hemodynamic mechanisms. ANP induced hypotension by decreasing cardiac index (CI; from 337.3 +/- 24.9 to 255.1 +/- 21.3 ml.min-1.kg-1, P less than 0.001), whereas a fall in total peripheral resistance (TPR) was observed during CE inhibition (from 0.568 +/- 0.02 to 0.488 +/- 0.02 mmHg.min.ml-1.kg, P less than 0.05). In addition, the ANP-induced decrease in CI was not significantly modified by previous CE inhibition. Furthermore, the decrease in TPR induced by CE inhibition did not change when CE inhibitor was administered during ANP treatment. The results of the present study indicate that the acute hemodynamic responses to ANP in 2K, 1C hypertensive rats are not mediated through antagonism of the vasoconstrictor actions of the RAS.

Hemodynamic effects of chronic infusion of rANP in renal hypertensive rats

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hemodynamic effects induced by an infusion of synthetic rat atrial natriuretic peptide (rANP, 0.5 micrograms/h iv) during 5 consecutive days in conscious normotensive and two-kidney, one-clip hypertensive (2K,1C) rats. Changes in plasma ANP (pANP) levels and plasma renin activity (PRA) were also determined. The administration of ANP in 2K,1C rats induced a significant decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) from 169 +/- 3 to 138 +/- 3, and 149 +/- 3 mmHg by 2 and 5 days of infusion, respectively. This hypotension was accompanied by a significant fall in cardiac index (CI) from 400 +/- 16 to 348 +/- 14 ml.min-1.kg-1 after 2 days of ANP treatment. However, CI returned to the basal levels at the third day, and a significant decrease in total peripheral resistance (TPR) was observed by 3 and 5 days of ANP infusion. The administration of the same dose of ANP in normotensive rats did not induce changes in MAP, but CI decreased (P less than 0.001) transitorily during the first 2 days and returned to control values thereafter. Basal pANP levels were significantly elevated in the hypertensive animals (176 +/- 40 pg/ml) when compared with the normotensive rats (82 +/- 10 pg/ml). The ANP infusion resulted in lower (P less than 0.05) pANP levels in hypertensive (1,017 +/- 234 pg/ml) than in normotensive rats (3,466 +/- 975 pg/ml). PRA did not change in any group during the administration of ANP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of converting enzyme inhibition with captopril on baroreflex sensitivity

Clinical and experimental data suggest that both Captopril and angiotensin II (AII) reduce baroreflex responsiveness, and the main action of this converting enzyme inhibitor (CEI) seems clear to suppress AII synthesis. The aim of this work is to investigate this striking similarity of effects. We have verified that CEI (4 mg/kg) originates tachycardia significantly lower (P less than 0.001) than that produced in response to a similar hypotension elicited by an unspecific vasodilator: sodium nitroprusside (10-45 micrograms/kg min). CEI SQ 20881 has been reported to increase plasma vasopressin concentrations (AVP); this peptide is also known to modify baroreflex responses and has a small direct negative chronotropic effect. However, our determinations of AVP do not show any difference between the control group and the group treated with Captopril (4.78 +/- 0.87 and 5.26 +/- 0.19 pg/ml respectively). On the other hand, although CEI did not modify the rapid responses of heart rate (HR) to changes of mean arterial pressure (MAP), the decrease of MAP induced by nitroprusside was higher in the group treated with Captopril than in control group; it could mean a baroreflex ability decrease to buffer the hypotension. However, AII elicited a strong impairment of both rapid responses of HR and the buffering of hypotension produced by NP, these actions being suggested as centrally mediated. These results could indicate that the suppression of peripheral AII synthesis and therefore, the lack of pre- and postjunctional sympathetic potentiation owing to this hormone, is responsible for the absence of tachycardia under Captopril treatment.

Difference between intracarotid and intravenous infusions of angiotensin II on baroreflex sensitivity and vasopressin release in conscious rats

A carotid infusion of angiotensin (AII) (10 ng/kg/min) has been found to increase significantly higher mean arterial pressure (MAP) and produces significantly lower bradycardia than AII intravenous infusions at the same dose and rate. Besides, i.v. administration of AII elicits greater impairment on baroreflex sensitivity than carotid infusion of AII does. On the other hand, vasopressin vascular receptor blockade did not modify the baroreflex sensitivity either in the carotid or in the i.v. infusions of AII, and plasma AVP measurements did not change significantly in any group. It clearly indicates that neither AVP nor baroreflex impairment plays any role on the pressor action of AII intracarotid infusions at a low dose. The present results further suggest that baroreflex impairment in rats may unlikely be located in the region irrigated by the carotid artery.