Effect of an angiotensin II antagonist on autoregulation in the isolated dog kidney.

The effect of the specific angiotensin II antagonist (AIIA), [1-sarcosine-8-alanine]angiotensin II, on autoregulation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal blood flow (RBF) in an isolated dog kidney was examined. Infusing the AIIA into the renal artery at 1.9 mug/min inhibited the renal vasoconstrictor action of angiotension II infused simultaneously at 1.15 mug/min. Under conditions of constant renal arterial pressure the AIIA had no significant effect on sodium excretion, GFR, RBF, cortical blood flow distribution (microsphere method), or renin secretion in non-renin-depleted kidneys. Similarly, no agonist properties were observed when the AIIA was infused into renin-depleted kidneys. This dose of the AIIA did not impair the capacity of the isolated kidney to regulate GFR or RBF when renal arterial pressure was increased from 100 to 150 mmHg. Efficiency of autoregulation of GFR and RBF was 77 and 82% of that predicted for perfect autoregulation. These values are not significantly different from those of the isolated kidney not infused with the antagonist. It is concluded that the angiotensin II antagonist, [1-sarcosine-8-alanine]angiotensin II, has no significant agonist properties, that it antagonizes the renal vascular effects of exogenously administered angiotensin II, but does not impair renal autoregulation. These data provide no support for the hypothesis that the renin-angiotensin system mediates the autoregulation of GFR and RBF.