Prostaglandins and the renal responses to haemorrhage, angiotensin II and methoxamine in conscious rabbits.

The responses to 20% haemorrhage were examined in conscious rabbits with or without inhibition of prostaglandin production by indomethacin (5 mg/kg + 0.5 mg/kg per h i.v.). In rabbits not pretreated with indomethacin, haemorrhage lowered mean arterial pressure by 6.3 (s.e.m. = 1.6) mmHg, renal blood flow by 22.8 (s.e.m. = 3.4) ml/min and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by 3.4 (s.e.m. = 0.6) ml/min, and raised plasma renin activity by 5.2 (s.e.m. = 1.0) ng/ml per h. Pretreatment of the rabbits with indomethacin did not significantly alter the responses to haemorrhage. Mean arterial pressure fell by 10.9 (s.e.m. = 1.8) mmHg, renal blood flow by 24.9 (s.e.m. = 3.9) ml/min and GFR by 4.2 (s.e.m. = 1.8) ml/min and plasma renin activity rose by 3.2 (s.e.m. = 0.5) ng/ml per h. In a separate group of 5 rabbits, angiotensin II was infused at 10, 25 and 50 ng/kg per min i.v. or methoxamine was infused at 10 and 25 micrograms/kg per min i.v. After indomethacin pretreatment, angiotensin II caused a significantly greater rise in mean arterial pressure and greater fall in renal vascular conductance, but there was no effect on the GFR response. In contrast, methoxamine caused significantly smaller falls in GFR, renal blood flow and renal vascular conductance after indomethacin pretreatment. Indomethacin significantly lowered resting GFR but not renal blood flow or arterial pressure. Thus, indomethacin pretreatment accentuated the renal vasoconstriction to angiotensin II, reduced the renal vasoconstriction to methoxamine and had no effect on the responses to haemorrhage. The results therefore suggest that prostaglandins do not act to lessen the renal effects of all vasoconstrictor stimuli, but that the prostaglandin response depends on the nature of the ischaemic stimulus.