ROLE OF RENAL NERVES IN MEDIATING THE HYPERTENSIVE EFFECTS OF NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHESIS INHIBITION

Recent studies suggest that enhanced renal sympathetic nervous activit y plays an important role in mediating the renal hemodynamic and elect rolyte excretion changes associated with acute inhibition of NO synthe sis. The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of rena l nerves in mediating the long-term hypertensive and renal actions of NO synthesis blockade. To achieve this goal, we infused N-G-nitro-L-ar ginine methyl ester (L-NAME) at a rate of 25 mu g/kg per minute for 2 weeks in control dogs and in bilaterally renal-denervated dogs. NO syn thesis blockade in control dogs increased arterial pressure by 18%, fr om 94+/-3 to 111+/-4 mm Hg, and decreased heart rate from 74+/-4 to 57 +/-4 beats per minute (bpm). L-NAME also decreased renal plasma how fr om 195+/-18 to 166+/-18 mL/min while having no effect on glomerular fi ltration rate (67+/-7 versus 63+/-6 mL/min). In the renal-denervated d ogs, inhibition of NO synthesis increased arterial pressure by 14%, fr om 92+/-4 to 105+/-5 mm Hg, and decreased heart rate from 80+/-4 to 65 +/-5 bpm. Renal plasma flow in this group decreased from 195+/-20 to 1 65+/-20 mL/min, whereas glomerular filtration rate remained unchanged (66+/-6 versus 64+/-6 mL/min). In addition, renal excretion of sodium and water in response to L-NAME was similar in each group. The results of this study indicate that the long-term hypertensive and renal effe cts of NO synthesis inhibition in the dog are not dependent on activat ion of the renal sympathetic nervous system.