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Oxygen consumption beyond the proximal tubule is mainly determined by active solute reabsorption, especially in the thick ascending limb of the Loop of Henle. Furosemide-induced suppression of oxygen consumption (FSOC) involves inhibition of sodium transport in this segment, which is normally accompanied by a marked decrease in the intrarenal deoxyhemoglobin detectable by blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD)-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study tested the hypothesis that the magnitude of BOLD-MRI signal change after furosemide is related to impaired renal function in renovascular hypertension. In 16 pigs with unilateral renal artery stenosis, renal hemodynamics, function, and tubular function (FSOC and fluid concentration capacity) were evaluated in both kidneys using MR and multidetector computerized tomography (MDCT) imaging. Animals with adequate FSOC (23.6 ± 2.2%, P > 0.05 vs. baseline) exhibited a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 113 ± 7 mmHg, and relatively preserved glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 60 ± 4.5 ml/min, comparable to their contralateral kidney (66 ± 4 ml/min, P > 0.05). In contrast, animals with low FSOC (3.1 ± 2.1%, P = NS vs. baseline) had MAP of 124 ± 9 mmHg and GFR (22 ± 6 ml/min) significantly lower than the contralateral kidneys (66 ± 4 ml/min, P < 0.05). The group with preserved GFR and FSOC showed an increase in intratubular fluid concentration as assessed by MDCT that was greater than that observed in the low GFR group, suggesting better preservation of tubular function in the former group. These results suggest that changes in BOLD-MRI after furosemide can differentiate between underperfused kidneys with preserved tubular function and those with tubular dysfunction. This approach may allow more detailed physiologic evaluation of poststenotic kidneys in renovascular hypertension than previously possible.

There is substantial evidence suggesting that angiotensin II plays an important role in elevating blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats, despite normal plasma renin activity, and that converting enzyme inhibitors (captopril) can effectively normalize blood pressure in the spontaneously hypertensive rats. One mechanism by which angiotensin II induces hypertension is via oxidative stress and endothelin, as seen in subpressor angiotensin II–induced hypertension. In fact, it has been shown that antioxidants lower mean arterial pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats. However, the relationship between angiotensin II, oxidative stress, and endothelin in the spontaneously hypertensive rats is still relatively undefined. This study examines the relationship between mean arterial pressure, plasma renin activity, angiotensin II, oxidative stress, and endothelin in spontaneously hypertensive rats compared with normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats, and the effects of captopril on this association. Untreated spontaneously hypertensive rats had increased plasma angiotensin II levels despite normal plasma renin activity, oxidative stress, and endothelin. Captopril treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats lowered mean arterial pressure, angiotensin II, oxidative stress, and endothelin, and increased plasma renin activity. In contrast, captopril increased plasma renin activity (suggesting effective captopril treatment) but did not significantly alter mean arterial pressure, angiotensin II, oxidative stress, or endothelin of Wistar Kyoto rats. These results suggest that in spontaneously hypertensive rats, angiotensin II is a primary instigator of hypertension, and that captopril selectively lowers angiotensin II, oxidant stress, and endothelin, which in turn may contribute to the blood pressure-lowering efficacy of captopril in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Abstract —Chronic intravenous infusion of subpressor doses of angiotensin II causes blood pressure to increase progressively over the course of several days. The mechanisms underlying this response, however, are poorly understood. Because high-dose angiotensin II increases oxidative stress, and some compounds that result from the increased oxidative stress (eg, isoprostanes) produce vasoconstriction and antinatriuresis, we tested the hypothesis that a subpressor dose of angiotensin II also increases oxidative stress, as measured by 8-epi-prostaglandin F 2α (isoprostanes), which may contribute to the slow pressor response to angiotensin II. To test this hypothesis, we infused angiotensin II (10 ng/kg per minute for 28 days via an osmotic pump) into 6 conscious normotensive female pigs (30 to 35 kg). We recorded mean arterial pressure continuously with a telemetry system and measured plasma isoprostanes before starting the angiotensin II infusion (baseline) and again after 28 days with an enzyme immunoassay. Angiotensin II infusion significantly increased mean arterial pressure from 121±4 to 153±7 mm Hg ( P P =NS). However, the plasma concentrations of free isoprostanes increased significantly, from 38.3±5.8 to 54.7±10.4 pg/mL ( P

The controversy over beneficial versus harmful effects of salt on cardiovascular outcomes may be caused by different effects of salt on intermediate phenotypes of hypertension not characterized in epidemiological studies. Hence, we investigated acute effects of salt on oxidative stress in hypertensive subjects classified as salt sensitive (SS, n=14) or salt resistant (SR, n=13) by an inpatient protocol of salt loading (460 mmol NaCl) and salt depletion (10 mmol NaCl and furosemide). Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring the plasma isoprostane 8-iso-PGF2α. SS had lower plasma renin activity, higher aldosterone/renin ratios, and exaggerated endothelin and catecholamine responses to salt depletion compared with SR. Baseline lipid-bound isoprostanes (749±70 pmol/L) were 83% of the total and were slightly but not significantly higher in SS than SR. Baseline free isoprostanes did not differ between groups. After salt loading, lipid-bound isoprostanes were higher in SS (945±106) than SR (579±57; P P value not significant). Free isoprostanes were decreased by salt depletion only if data in all of the patients were analyzed together. Total isoprostanes followed the pattern of the lipid-bound fraction. Correlations between salt depletion-induced changes in lipid-bound isoprostanes, plasma renin activity ( r =0.45; P r =−0.41; P

Little is known about the distribution of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostacyclin (PGI2) production in the canine kidney. To determine the basal and stimulated profiles of PGE2 and PGI2 production along the corticomedullary axis of the dog kidney, a slice (0.5 mm thick, 10-50 mg) was obtained from six equally spaced zones along the axis (zone 1, medullary crest; zones 2 and 3, inner medulla; zone 4, outer medulla; and zones 5 and 6, cortex) and was divided into equal halves. One half of the slice was incubated with Krebs-Ringer buffer containing arachidonic acid (6.6 x 10(-4) M), bradykinin (9.4 x 10(-6) M), or indomethacin (10(-5) M), whereas the remaining half of each slice was similarly incubated in Krebs-Ringer buffer alone. The production of PGE2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha (the stable metabolite of PGI2) was determined by radioimmunoassay. Under basal conditions, both PGE2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha were highest in the innermost zones of the inner medulla (PGE2, 3,328 +/- 549 pg/mg; 6-keto-PGF 1 alpha, 1,611 +/- 129 pg/mg) and decreased exponentially to low levels in the cortex (PGE2, undetectable; 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, 13 +/- 2 pg/mg); this production was inhibited by indomethacin. Arachidonic acid significantly increased the production of PGE2 in all zones of the kidney and the production of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha only in zones 3-6.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

48 Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) reportedly have inappropriately high levels of Ang II despite normal plasma renin activity (PRA). Because Ang II stimulates oxidative stress, which in turn quenches nitric oxide, it is possible that Ang II-induced increases in oxidative stress contribute to the increase in blood pressure. Indeed, administering either a converting enzyme inhibitor (to decrease Ang II) or Tempol (a potent antioxidant) reduces blood pressure in SHR. We tested whether decreasing Ang II with a converting enzyme inhibitor reduces oxidative stress as well as MAP in SHR. For this, we divided 12 weeks old SHR into two groups (n=5 each). One group was treated with captopril (100 mg/kg/day added to the drinking water) and the other served as our untreated time controls. After 16 days of treatment, the rats were anesthetised and we measured MAP and collected blood samples to determine PRA, and the plasma levels of Ang II and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS). The captopril-treated rats had a lower MAP than the untreated rats (92±4 vs. 160±5 mmHg, respectively) and an increased PRA (42±1 vs. 26±6 ng/ml/h; captopril-treated vs. untreated rats, respectively). The decreased MAP in the captopril-treated SHR was accompanied by reduced plasma levels of Ang II (630±47 vs. 836±205 pg/ml) and TBARS (5.4±1.0 vs. 3.0±0.2 nmol/ml). Despite the significant decrease in Ang II levels in the captopril-treated SHR, they are still 20-fold higher rhan in normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats (34.0±8.8 pg/ml). In summary, captopril-induced decreases of MAP in SHR are accompanied not only by reduced levels of Ang II, but also by reduced oxidative stress. Because antioxidants also lower MAP in SHR, it suggests that oxidative stress induced by Ang II may play a role in the pathogenesis of the increased blood pressure in SHR.

44 Chronic infusion of subpressor doses of Ang II causes blood pressure to increase progressively over several days. The mechanisms underlying this response are unknown but may involve Ang II-induced generation of additional vasoconstrictor processes. In this study, we tested whether endothelin and/or oxidative stress are implicated in the slow pressor responses to Ang II. We infused either vehicle (group 1; n=6) or Ang II (group 2; n=5) intravenously at 5 ng/kg/min via osmotic pumps for 15 days into Sprague Dawley rats. In addition to the Ang II infusion, groups 3 and 4 (n=6 each) received 30 mg/kg/day of either losartan (an angiotensin AT 1 receptor blocker) or bosentan (a blocker of both endothelin receptors, ET A and ET B ) in their drinking water. We measured systolic blood pressure (SBP) during the infusion, and the levels of circulating Ang II and isoprostanes (a marker of oxidative stress) at the conclusion of the experiments. Rats infused with vehicle had no change in SBP (from 138±13 to 138±2 mmHg) and normal levels of Ang II (34.5±9 pg/ml) and isoprostanes (111±10 pg/ml). Ang II infusion increased SBP from 133±10 to 158±8 mmHg, as well as circulating levels of Ang II (144±65 pg/ml) and isoprostanes (156±19 pg/ml). Losartan treatment abolished Ang II induced increases in SBP (SBP went from 137±5 to 120±4 mmHg), and isoprostanes (115±15 pg/ml), without altering Ang II levels (101±30 pg/ml). Bosentan also blocked Ang II-induced increases in SBP (from 135±4 to 139±3) but did not alter the increased isoprostane levels (146±14 pg/ml). Surprisingly, bosentan blunted the increase in Ang II levels (51±10 pg/ml). In conclusion, low dose Ang II-induced increases in SBP and oxidant stress depend on the AT 1 receptor. Endothelin receptor blockade also reduces SBP, but it does so independently of reducing oxidative stress (as measured by isoprostanes).

The natriuretic response to the intrarenal administration of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) is accompanied by an increase in the synthesis of prostaglandins and by a redistribution of renal blood flow from the superficial to the deep cortex. This study was undertaken to define whether prostaglandins mediate the ANF-induced redistribution of renal blood flow and if prostaglandins and renal blood flow redistribution contribute to the natriuretic actions of ANF. In anesthetized dogs, the intrarenal administration of indomethacin (10 micrograms/kg/min) or the intravenous administration of meclofenamate (5 mg/kg) completely prevented the sixfold and twofold increments in urinary prostaglandin E2 and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha excretion, respectively; it also abolished the redistribution of renal blood flow to the deep cortex. However, ANF induced a similar natriuresis before (from 53 +/- 17 to 281 +/- 48 microEq/min) and after (from 45 +/- 13 to 273 +/- 60 microEq/min) the administration of prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors. It is concluded that the ANF-induced redistribution of renal blood flow to the deep cortex is prostaglandin-mediated but that neither redistribution nor increased prostaglandin synthesis is an important mediator of ANF's natriuretic action.

Like arachidonic acid (AA) and bradykinin (BK), the intrarenal administration of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) has been shown to increase the urinary excretion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). In the present study, the direct in vitro effects of ANP on PGE2 production were compared with those of AA and BK. Canine renal inner medullary slices were preincubated for 30 min and washed in aerated Krebs-Ringer buffer (37 degrees C). During the final incubation period, with the use of varied concentrations of AA, BK, or ANP in Krebs-Ringer buffer, samples were obtained at 0 and 30 min to be used for radioimmunoassay of PGE2. Although the rate of PGE2 production was significantly increased 11-fold with AA and threefold with BK, it was unaffected by four different doses of ANP (10(-5) to 10(-11) M). Furthermore, the production of PGE2 during basal and stimulated (BK or AA) conditions was significantly blocked by indomethacin but not by ANP. These results indicate that ANP had no direct stimulatory or inhibitory effect on the medullary production of PGE2.