Intrarenal prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha in experimental renovascular hypertension.

To study the role of renal prostaglandins (PGs) in renovascular hypertension, PGE2 and PGF2 alpha concentrations in both inner and outer medullae of the kidney were measured by radioimmunoassay in rabbits with hypertension produced by left renal artery constriction. In the acute phase, a week after surgery, PGE2 in the inner and outer medullae and PGF2 alpha in the inner medulla were significantly increased in both the constricted and opposite kidneys (p less than 0.01). In chronic phase, 5 weeks after surgery, PGs returned to normal concentrations with the exceptions of PGE2 in the outer medulla and PGF2 alpha in the inner medulla of the constricted kidney. These results suggest that increased renal PGs may not be the cause of hypertension but a defensive reaction to renal ischemia, hypertension and sodium load.