Blockade of chloride channels by DIDS stimulates renin release and inhibits contraction of afferent arterioles.

Calcium-activated chloride channels have been proposed to control renin release from juxtaglomerular cells and to be involved in the excitation-contraction coupling of the renal afferent arteriole. The hypothesis was tested on renin release from rat glomeruli and in microperfused rabbit afferent arterioles with the chloride channel blocker 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS). Renin secretion was equally enhanced by omission of extracellular calcium and by addition of 0.5 mM DIDS. The inhibitory effect of calcium was blocked by DIDS. The stimulatory effects of low calcium [with or without ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid] and DIDS were not additive. In the absence of chloride, basal renin release was suppressed and the stimulatory effect of DIDS was abolished. The DIDS-induced enhancement of renin release was not dependent on bicarbonate. Norepinephrine (5 x 10(-7)-1 x 10(-6) M) and angiotensin II (1 x 10(-8)-10(-6) M) evoked reversible and dose-dependent contractions of microperfused rabbit afferent arterioles. DIDS (0.5 mM) did not affect the basal diameter of the arterioles but strongly inhibited the response to angiotensin II and attenuated the duration of the contractile response to norepinephrine. The results support the hypothesis that DIDS-sensitive calcium-activated chloride channels are involved in regulation of renin release and in the afferent arteriolar contraction after angiotensin II but do not play a pivotal role in the response to norepinephrine.