Little direct information is available on the actions of angiotensin II beyond the proximal tubule. We therefore studied the effect of a mildly vasoconstrictive dose of angiotensin II on tubular handling of water, sodium (Na+) and lithium (Li+) in rats by means of free-flow micropuncture at the late proximal tubule and the early distal tubule. 2. Endogenous angiotensin II was suppressed by pretreatment with enalapril. Compared with a control group, angiotensin II increased mean arterial pressure by 15 mmHg. Glomerular filtration rate decreased from 1.32 +/- 0.05 to 1.10 +/- 0.05 ml/min, Na+ excretion from 0.43 +/- 0.09 to 0.13 +/- 0.03 mumol/min, fractional delivery of water at the late proximal tubule from 50.1 +/- 1.7 to 42.9 +/- 3.2%, fractional delivery of Na+ at the late proximal tubule from 46.5 +/- 1.3 to 39.1 +/- 3.5% and fractional delivery of water at the early distal tubule from 26.4 +/- 1.4 to 21.9 +/- 1.0% (P < 0.05 for each variable). Fractional delivery of Na+ at the early distal tubule did not change significantly. 3. Similar experiments were performed during partial aortic constriction to exclude the effects of increased perfusion pressure. The data obtained were similar, except that in this group the fractional delivery of Na+ at the early distal tubule decreased from 8.6 +/- 0.7 to 6.8 +/- 0.9% (P < 0.05). 4. The relation between late proximal tubule Na+ delivery and Na+ reabsorption between late proximal and early distal tubule was not disturbed by angiotensin II. For water, however, this relation tended to shift to a higher reabsorption rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
