Suprarenal aortic clamping and reperfusion decreases medullary and cortical blood flow by decreased endogenous renal nitric oxide and PGE2 synthesis.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the hypothesis that clamping the aorta above the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) followed by suprarenal aortic clamping and reperfusion (SRACR) decreases microvascular blood flow by loss of endogenous medullary and cortical nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin (PG) E(2) synthesis.

STUDY DESIGN

Anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats (350 g) had either microdialysis probes or laser Doppler fibers inserted into the renal cortex to a depth of 2 mm and into the renal medulla at 4 mm. Laser Doppler blood flow was continuously monitored (data reported as percentage of change compared to basal), and the microdialysis probes were connected to a syringe pump and perfused in vivo at 3 microL/min with lactated Ringer solution. Dialysate fluid was collected at basal time zero, following 30 minutes of suprarenal aortic clamping (ischemia) followed by 60 minutes of reperfusion and compared to a sham operation. Both groups were treated with saline carrier, indomethacin (INDO) (10 mg/kg, a cyclooxygenase [COX] inhibitor), N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (20 mg/kg, a NO synthase [NOS] inhibitor), or L-arginine (200 mg/kg, an NO precursor). Dialysate was analyzed for total NO (muM) and PGE(2) (pg/mL) synthesis. The renal cortex and medulla were analyzed for inducible NOS (iNOS) and COX-2 content by Western blot. All data are reported as mean +/- SEM, N > 5 and analyzed by analysis of variance.

RESULTS

SRACR caused a marked decrease in medullary and cortical blood flow with a concomitant decrease in endogenous medullary and cortical NO synthesis. Treatment with L-NAME further decreased blood flow and NO synthesis in the medulla and cortex. L-Arginine restored medullary and cortical NO synthesis and blood flow in the cortex but not the medulla. SRACR did not alter renal medullary or cortical PGE(2); however, addition of INDO, COX inhibitor, caused a concomitant decrease in medullary and cortical PGE(2) synthesis and blood flow.

CONCLUSIONS

NO is an important endogenous renal vasodilator that, when maintained can help preserve cortical blood flow following SRACR. These data also suggest that avoidance of COX-2 inhibitors can help maintain endogenous renal cortical and medullary PGE(2) synthesis and thus contribute to maintaining normal blood flow.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This study is the first to combine in vivo physiologic assays to simultaneously identify clinically relevant intrarenal vasodilators (cortical and medullary) that are required to maintain microvascular blood flow. Identification of endogenous renal cortical and medullary vasodilators responsible for maintaining renal microvascular blood flow will allow development of treatment strategies to preserve these vasodilators following SRACR. Successful preservation of endogenous intrarenal vasodilators will help maintain renal microvascular blood flow and renal function in the treatment of complex aortic pathology that requires SRACR.