Characterisation of the alpha-adrenoceptors of the rat renal vascular bed.

Abstract

Postjunctional renal alpha-adrenoceptors were studied (1) in vivo, on the renal vasculature of the anaesthesized rat and compared with those in the femoral vasculature, and (2) in vitro, on the renal vascular bed of isolated perfused rat kidney. In vivo, renal and iliac blood flows were measured with an electromagnetic flow meter. The i.v. injection of (-)-phenylephrine (1-16 micrograms/kg) and B-HT 920 (0.6-600 micrograms/kg) induced an increase in both renal and iliac vascular resistance, inhibited respectively with prazosin (300 micrograms/kg) or yohimbine (300 micrograms/kg). In the kidney, maximum response to B-HT 920 was equivalent to 64% of that to (-)-phenylephrine; on the iliac vasculature, vasoconstrictor responses to both drugs were identical, but only corresponded to 50% of the maximum renal response to (-)-phenylephrine. This indicates the predominance of alpha 1- over alpha 2-adrenoceptors in the renal vascular bed. In vitro, on the isolated perfused rat kidney, vasoconstriction was induced by the preferential alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonists [(-)-phenylephrine, cirazoline and methoxamine] and the preferential alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists (alpha-methylnoradrenaline, dopamine and clonidine) at concentrations at which they lose their selectivity for the alpha 2-adrenoceptors; all responses were antagonised by prazosin but not by yohimbine. B-HT 920, the selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, only induced renal vasoconstriction in vitro under concomitant infusion of rabbit plasma.