Effects of adenosine receptor agonists on efferent renal nerve activity in anesthetized rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of A1 and A2 adenosine-receptor activation on the sympathetic nervous system. The effects on efferent renal nerve activity of selective A1 (CCPA; 2-chloro-N-6-cyclopentyladenosine) and A2 (2HE-NECA; 2-hexynyl-5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine) adenosine-receptor agonists were studied in anesthetized rats either with intact baroreflexes (intact rats) or with bilateral sinoaortic denervation and vagotomy (denervated rats). After a control period of 5 min, A1 or A2 agonist or vehicle were intravenously infused for 8 min in separate groups of intact or denervated rats, in which arterial pressure and heart rate were continuously recorded. CCPA (5.0 microg/kg/min) and 2HE-NECA (0.7 microg/kg/min) were selected to obtain comparable blood pressure changes over the period of observation. Arterial pressure significantly and equally decreased during the A1 (-41 +/- 8%), and A2 (-35 +/- 5%) agonist administration. Heart rate significantly decreased during A1 agonist infusion, but it did not change during A2 agonist administration. Bilateral sinoaortic denervation and vagotomy did not modify the hemodynamic responses to both drugs. The A1 and A2 administration caused a large and significant increase in efferent renal nerve activity (+66 +/- 22% and +76 +/- 15%, respectively), and this effect was entirely abolished in denervated rats. A linear relation with a significant negative slope between changes in arterial pressure and changes in neural discharge was observed for each treatment. The comparison of the regression slopes showed that the reflex increase of efferent sympathetic activity caused by the administration of both agonists was significantly smaller than the increment induced by equipotent hypotensive dose of sodium nitroprusside (10 microg/kg). These data show that the selective activation of A1 and A2 receptors elicits a reflex increase in efferent renal nerve activity. This neural activation is smaller as compared with the effect of equihypotensive doses of sodium nitroprusside, thus indicating a blunting effect of both adenosine agonists on baroreceptor sensitivity.

Role of the renal nerves and angiotensin II in the renal function curve.

The relationship between renal perfusion pressure and urinary sodium is involved in arterial pressure regulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of renal nerves and angiotensin II in the pressure-natriuresis relationship. Experiments were performed in anaesthetised cats in which one kidney was surgically denervated. Renal perfusion pressure (RPP), renal blood flow (RBF) glomerular filtration rate (GFR, creatinine clearance), urinary volume (V) and sodium excretion (Una + V) were separately measured from both kidneys. RPP was progressively reduced in two consecutive steps by a suprarenal aortic snare. Two groups of animals were studied: the first without any pharmacological treatment (Untreated), the second during treatment with an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (Captopril, 0.4 mg/Kg intravenously followed by an infusion of 0.4 mg/Kg/h). In the Untreated group RPP was reduced from 152.4 +/- 7.3 to 113.6 +/- 5.8 and 83.0 +/- 4.4 mmHg during the first and second step respectively. RBF and GFR were only slightly reduced during the second step of reduced RPP. In control conditions V and UNa + V were greater in the denervated compared to the innervated kidney. The graded decrease in RPP reduced both V and UNa + V in the innervated as well as in the denervated kidney. In the Captopril group V and UNa + V were larger than in the Untreated group in both the innervated and the denervated kidney. A decrease of RPP similar to that observed in the Untreated group, produced similar haemodynamic changes. Also in the Captopril group the graded decrease in RPP reduced both V and UNa + V in the innervated as well as in the denervated kidney. Matching UNa + V against RPP values significant correlations were found in the innervated and denervated kidneys of both groups. Both renal denervation and ACE inhibition were accompanied by an increased gain of the pressure-natriuresis curve, but only renal denervation shifted the crossing of the pressure axis to the left. In the ACE inhibited animals renal denervation only shifted the curve to the left. In conclusion our data suggest that i) at each level of RPP renal nerves and angiotensin II decrease renal sodium excretion, ii) renal nerves and angiotensin II increase the slope of the renal function curve, iii) renal nerves shift to the right the renal function curve.

Effects of adenosine receptor agonists on renal function in anaesthetized rats.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of the interaction between adenosine receptors and renal nerves on urinary sodium excretion and glomerular filtration rate. METHODS AND DESIGN: The effects on water and sodium excretion and glomerular filtration rate of A1 [2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyl-adenosine (CCPA)] and A2 [2-hesinyl-5'-N-ethyl-carboxamido-adenosine (2HE-NECA)] adenosine agonists were studied in anaesthetized rats with one kidney surgically denervated. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate and rate of urine flow from each kidney were continuously recorded; inulin clearance was used as an index of glomerular filtration rate. The experiments were performed with three groups of rats, into which, after a control period of 20 min, CCPA, 2HE-NECA or vehicle was infused for two subsequent 20 min periods. RESULT: During infusion of CCPA, the slight decrease in arterial pressure was associated with a transient decrease in glomerular filtration rate and marked long-lasting decreases in heart rate, water and sodium excretion and fractional sodium excretion. The response of the innervated kidney was similar to the response of the denervated kidney. Infusion of 2HE-NECA caused decreases in arterial pressure, glomerular filtration rate and excretion of water and sodium associated with an increase in heart rate. The reduction of water and sodium excretion from the innervated kidney was larger than that from the denervated kidney. CONCLUSIONS: Activation both of A1 and of A2 receptor causes a reduction in urinary water and sodium excretion. The renal response to activation of A2 receptors is enhanced by the presence of renal nerves, whereas the response to activation of A1 receptors is not influenced by renal nerves.

Excretory responses to renal nerve stimulation during inhibition of neutral metalloendopeptidase and angiotensin-converting enzyme in the rat.

To evaluate the interaction between renal nerves, the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), and the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), electrical stimulation of renal nerves was performed in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and in their normotensive controls, Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY), before and after pharmacologic treatment with (a) a neutral endopeptidase inhibitor (NEP-i) to enhance the intrarenal ANP activity; (b) an ACE inhibitor (ACE-i) to block RAS; (c) both NEP-i and ACE-i; and (d) the vehicle of the drugs. Renal nerve stimulation did not change arterial pressure (AP) but reduced renal blood flow (RBF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and urinary sodium excretion (UNa+V) in both WKY and SHR. NEP-i treatment in WKY and SHR had no systemic or renal hemodynamic effects but increased GFR and urinary cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP) excretion; UNa+V increased (+2.78 +/- 0.31 microEq/min) in WKY, whereas it did not change in SHR (+0.83 +/- 0.79 microEq/min). In both strains, ACE-i treatment reduced AP, increased RBF, and did not change GFR and UNa+V. The combined treatment with NEP-i and ACE-i did not modify the natriuretic effect observed in NEP-i treated WKY (+4.29 +/- 1.25 microEq/min), but it elicited a natriuretic effect in SHR (+3.98 +/- 1.29 microEq/min). Pharmacologic treatment did not change the hemodynamic and excretory responses to renal nerve stimulation in both WKY and SHR. In conclusion, NEP-i treatment increased UNa+V in normotensive rats without changing AP. In hypertensive rats, the natriuretic effect of NEP-i became evident only after block of RAS by ACE-i. Neither NEP-i nor ACE-i, even in combination, could modify the renal responses to sympathetic stimulation.

Functional evidence of inhibitory reno-renal reflexes in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The experiments were performed to study the role of the renal nerves and the reno-renal reflexes in the control of water and sodium excretion in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) compared to their normotensive controls, Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. Unilateral renal denervation in anaesthetized animals produced a slight, progressive decrease in arterial pressure in both WKY and SHR rats. The glomerular filtration rate temporarily increased in the kidney that underwent the denervation in the SHR group only. After unilateral renal denervation a sharp increase in water and sodium excretion from the ipsilateral kidney was observed in both WKY and SHR. One hour after the denervation, the percent changes in water and sodium excretion were smaller in WKY (+32 +/- 19% and +24 +/- 17%) than in SHR rats (+84 +/- 15% and +93 +/- 20%). In the kidney contralateral to the denervation a reduction in water and sodium excretion was observed and this reduction was prompter in SHR than in WKY rats. One hour after the denervation, the percent changes in water and sodium excretion were similar in WKY (-21 +/- 8% and -18 +/- 7%) and SHR (-19 +/- 6% and -19 +/- 7%). In control groups, sham denervation did not cause significant changes in glomerular filtration rate, and urinary water and sodium excretion. Arterial pressure slightly and progressively decreased in both control groups. Electrical stimulation of the efferent renal nerves performed in WKY and SHR produced similar decreases in renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate, and water and sodium excretion in the two groups for the same frequencies of stimulation. As this finding indicates that renal targets in hypertensive rats are normally responsive to the neural drive, our data demonstrate that renal responses to unilateral renal denervation in hypertensive rats are equal to the responses observed in normotensive rats. Our results indicate that tonically active inhibitory renorenal reflexes normally operate in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Effects of adenosine-receptor agonists on renin release in anaesthetized rats.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of the interaction between adenosine receptors and renal nerves on renin release. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects on renin secretion of A1 (2-chloro-N6-cyclopentiladenosine) and A2 (2-hexynil-5'-N-ethyl-carboxamido-adenosine) adenosine-receptor agonists were studied in two groups of anaesthetized rats, each with one kidney surgically denervated. Arterial blood pressure and the renal blood flow of innervated and denervated kidneys were continuously recorded. Cannulae were inserted into both renal veins through femoral veins. After 1h of rest, A1 and A2 agonists were intravenously infused for 30 min in the two groups of rats. Plasma renin activity was measured by radioimmunoassay in blood samples drawn simultaneously from both renal veins and the femoral artery before and after the drug infusion. RESULTS: Infusions of A1 and A2 agonists produced comparable hypotensive effects. During A1 agonist administration, the heart rate decreased significantly, but it did not change after A2 agonist treatment. Renal blood flow was reduced by administration of the A1 agonist in both kidneys, while A2 agonist administration significantly reduced the renal blood flow of the innervated kidney only. The veno-arterial difference in plasma renin activity decreased after the A1 agonist infusion in both kidneys, but after the A2 agonist infusion it increased significantly in the innervated kidney only. CONCLUSIONS: Renal nerves do not influence the inhibition of renin release mediated by A1 adenosine receptors. In vivo, A2-receptor agonist administration can stimulate renin release only in the presence of intact renal nerves.

Interactions between the sympathetic nervous system and atrial natriuretic factor in the control of renal functions.

We studied neural influences on the renal actions of atrial peptides in anaesthetized cats by comparing the response to atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) infusion in the innervated kidney and in the contralateral surgically denervated kidney. During ANF infusion arterial pressure decreased, the heart rate did not change and blood flow to both kidneys increased slightly. Vascular conductances became slightly but significantly higher in the denervated kidneys than in the controls. In both kidneys, the glomerular filtration rate increased transiently and significantly. Inhibition of renin release was more prompt and larger in the innervated than in the denervated kidneys. ANF infusion caused a significant increase in sodium and water excretion from both the innervated and denervated kidneys. However, the diuretic and natriuretic effect in the innervated kidneys, although proportionally greater than that in the denervated kidneys, was of shorter duration and subsided after 20 min of ANF infusion. Efferent renal nerve activity did not change during the initial 10 min of ANF infusion but thereafter increased progressively and significantly. We conclude that the effects of atrial peptides on renin release and excretory functions are influenced by renal nerve activity.

Role of the renal nerves in the natriuretic response to vasopressin infusion.

The present study was designed to determine whether renal nerves influence the natriuretic response to an infusion of vasopressin. Experiments were performed on anaesthetized rats in which the response to vasopressin of the innervated kidney was compared with that of the contralateral surgically denervated kidney. During the vasopressin infusion the natriuretic effect was evident in both kidneys and was proportionally greater in the innervated kidney than in the denervated one. Efferent renal nerve activity, recorded in three additional animals, decreased during the vasopressin infusion. Our data demonstrate that the natriuretic response of the innervated kidney is larger than that of the denervated kidney, probably because of an associated decrease in efferent renal nerve activity.

Regulation of sodium and water excretions by neural renorenal reflexes in the cat.

The reduction in sodium and water excretion observed in the right kidney when the left kidney is subjected to transient denervation, is entirely abolished by bilateral section of the dorsal roots from T9 to L4, whereas section of the left dorsal roots only, at the same spinal level, does not affect the contralateral renal response to left renal nerve cooling. The possibility that the bilateral dorsal roots section abolished the response of the right kidney because the afferent fibres from the left kidney travel in the right dorsal roots was explored in the present study. Experiments were performed in anaesthetized cats in which reversible denervation of the left kidney was done by cooling of left renal nerves (for 10 min) after cutting the right dorsal roots from T9 to L4. Cooling of left renal nerves caused a large increase in sodium and water excretion from the left kidney and a prompt decrease in sodium and water excretion from the right kidney. During the cooling period arterial pressure did not change and glomerular filtration rate slightly increased in the left kidney only. The results obtained in this group of animals were not significantly different from those previously observed in sham-operated cats or in cats with section of left dorsal roots only. As the contralateral antidiuretic and antinatriuretic response to renal denervation survives dorsal root section on either side but is prevented by bilateral section, this demonstrates that the inhibitory renal afferent fibres responsible for this renorenal reflex are distributed bilaterally to spinal dorsal roots.