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

Asymmetrical dimethylarginine plasma clearance persists after acute total nephrectomy in rats

Elevated plasma concentrations of symmetrical dimethylarginine (SDMA) and asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) are repeatedly associated with kidney failure. Both ADMA and SDMA can be excreted in urine. We tested whether renal excretion is necessary for acute, short-term maintenance of plasma ADMA and SDMA. Sprague-Dawley rats underwent sham operation, bilateral nephrectomy (NPX), ureteral ligation, or ureteral section under isoflurane anesthesia. Tail-snip blood samples (250 microl) were taken before and at 6- or 12-h intervals for 72 h after operation. Plasma clearance was assessed in intact and NPX rats. High-performance liquid chromatography determined SDMA and ADMA concentrations. Sodium, potassium, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and body weight were also measured. Forty-eight hours after NPX, SDMA increased 25 times (0.23 +/- 0.03 to 5.68 +/- 0.30 microM), whereas ADMA decreased (1.17 +/- 0.08 to 0.73 +/- 0.08 microM) by 38%. Creatinine and BUN increased, paralleling SDMA. Sham-operated animals showed no significant changes. Increased SDMA confirms continuous systemic production of SDMA and its obligatory renal excretion, much like creatinine. In contrast, decreased plasma ADMA suggests that acute total NPX either reduced systemic ADMA formation and/or systemic hydrolysis of ADMA increased 48-h post-NPX. However, plasma clearance of ADMA appeared unchanged 48 h after NPX. We conclude that renal excretory function is needed for SDMA elimination but not needed for acute, short-term ADMA elimination in that systemic hydrolysis is fully capable of clearing plasma ADMA.

Effect of losartan on renal microvasculature during chronic inhibition of nitric oxide visualized by micro-CT

Chronic inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthase with the competitive l-arginine analog NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) leads to an elevated systemic blood pressure and reduction in renal blood flow without significant changes in urinary sodium and water excretion. Simultaneous administration of ANG II AT1 receptor antagonist losartan and l-NAME prevents the alterations in blood pressure and renal hemodynamics. Microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) was used to investigate the role of ANG II in the changes of renal microvasculature during chronic NO inhibition. Sprague-Dawley rats were given l-NAME with or without AT1 receptor antagonist losartan (40 mg. kg-1. day-1 each) in their drinking water for 19 days. Kidneys from each group (control, l-NAME-, and l-NAME + losartan-treated rats) were perfusion-fixed in situ, infused with a silicon-based polymer containing lead chromate, and scanned by micro-CT. The microvasculature in the reconstructed three-dimensional renal images was studied using computerized analytic techniques. Kidneys of l-NAME-treated rats had significantly fewer normal glomeruli (28,824 +/- 838) than those of control rats (36,266 +/- 3,572). Losartan normalized the number to control values (34,094 +/- 1,536). The amount of vasculature in the cortex, outer medulla, and inner medulla of l-NAME-treated rats was about two-thirds that of control rats; losartan normalized the values to control levels. These data indicate that chronic treatment with the NO synthase inhibitor l-NAME produces a generalized rarefaction of renal capillaries. Because simultaneous AT1 receptor blockade abolished those changes, the data suggest that the reduction in vasculature is mediated by ANG II through AT1 receptors.

Insertion/deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme gene and arterial oxygen saturation at high altitude

There is a significant genetic influence on arterial oxygen saturation (Sa(O(2))) in high-altitude (HA) residents. It is not known whether this is true of lowlanders ascending to HA. The I allele of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene is associated with low ACE activity and elite endurance performance. An excess of the I allele has also been reported in South American natives living over 3,000 m and among elite HA mountaineers who demonstrate extreme endurance in a hypoxic environment, where maintenance of Sa(O(2)) is crucial to performance. We postulated that the I allele may confer an advantage at HA through genotype-dependent alterations in Sa(O(2)). Rapid ascent (n = 32) and slow ascent groups (n = 40), ascending to approximately 5,000 m over 12.0 and 18.5 days, respectively, had their Sa(O(2)) assessed throughout and compared with their ACE genotype. Resting Sa(O(2)) was independent of the ACE genotype and remained so for the slow ascent group, in whom the fall in Sa(O(2)) with ascent was genotype independent. However, Sa(O(2)) with ascent was significantly associated with the ACE genotype in the rapid ascent group (p = 0.01) with a relatively sustained Sa(O(2)) in the II subjects. These data are the first to report an association of the I allele with the maintenance of Sa(O(2)) at HA.