Nitric oxide and the renal hemodynamic response to proteins.

This article examines the potential role of nitric oxide in the renal hyperfiltration and vasodilation associated with acute amino acid infusions and changes in habitual protein intake. The impact of acute and chronic blockade of nitric oxide synthesis on basal renal hemodynamics and on the renal response to protein are examined. Data linking nitric oxide to other well-characterized modulators of the response to protein are reviewed. New insights into the role of nitric oxide and L-arginine in the pathogenesis of progressive renal injury are examined. The data strongly suggest a role for nitric oxide in the complex physiological reply to protein feeding. Modulation of dietary L-Arg might be an important therapeutic maneuver in the prevention of acute and chronic renal injury.