THE ENDOTHELIUM-DERIVED RELAXING FACTOR-MEDIATED ACETYLCHOLINE RESPONSE OF THE ARTERIAL PERFUSION-PRESSURE AFTER COLD-STORAGE OF THE ISOLATED RABBIT KIDNEY

The vasodilatation induced by acetylcholine (ACh) in a rabbit isolated perfused kidney was abolished when the tissue was exposed to cold isc hemia for 72 h in Euro-Collins (EC) solution. This vasodilatation is d ue to the release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) from r enal vasculature as evidenced by the attenuation following methylene b lue pretreatment. When kidneys were preserved in EC solution containin g UK 38 485. a thromboxane synthase inhibitor, or nicardipine, a calci um channel blocker, ACh-induced vasodilatation persisted after 72 h of cold ischemia. These results were taken as evidence of tissue protect ive activity of UK 38 385 and nicardipine and have promising implicati ons for cadaveric kidney transplantation.