Inhibitory renorenal reflexes: a role for renal prostaglandins in activation of renal sensory receptors

Abstract

In anesthetized rats, activation of renal sensory receptors with a mechanical stimulus (increased ureteral pressure) and a chemical stimulus (renal pelvic perfusion with 0.9 M NaCl) results in an increase in ipsilateral afferent renal nerve activity and a reflex increase in contralateral urine flow rate and urinary sodium excretion, i.e., a contralateral inhibitory renorenal reflex. Because both interventions are known to increase renal prostaglandin (PG) synthesis, we examined whether renal PGs were involved in the renorenal reflex response to renal sensory receptor stimulation. In the first part, mechanical and chemical activation of renal sensory receptors was performed in the absence and presence of renal pelvic perfusion with indomethacin or meclofenamate (0.2 micrograms/min). Indomethacin inhibited the ipsilateral afferent renal nerve activity response to increased ureteral pressure (7 +/- 2 vs. 38 +/- 10%, P less than 0.01) and renal pelvic perfusion with 0.9 M NaCl (3 +/- 3 vs. 28 +/- 5%, P less than 0.01) and the contralateral diuretic and natriuretic responses in the absence of any renal hemodynamic changes. Similar effects were produced by meclofenamate. In the second part, mechanical and chemical activation of renal sensory receptors was performed in the presence of renal pelvic perfusion with vehicle, indomethacin, and indomethacin plus PGE2 (20 micrograms/min). Addition of PGE2 to the renal pelvic perfusate in indomethacin-treated kidneys restored the responses to mechanical and chemical activation of renal sensory receptors to levels not different from their pre-indomethacin control values. We conclude that PGs in the renal pelvic area are involved in inhibitory renorenal reflex responses to mechanical and chemical activation of renal sensory receptors.