Glomerular hemodynamics in persistent renovascular hypertension in the rat.

We studied the glomerular hemodynamics and activity of the tubuloglomerular feedback system (TGFS) in Wistar rats with persistent hypertension 60 days after removal of the clipped kidney in the Goldblatt (two-kidney, one clip) hypertension model. Ten hypertensive rats (HBP) were compared with 12 normotensive ones (NBP). Micropuncture studies revealed that values for the single nephron glomerular filtration rate (SNGFR), glomerular plasma flow (QA), and afferent oncotic pressure (PAR.A) were similar in both groups, whereas glomerular capillary pressure (PGC) and effective filtration pressure (EFP) were higher in the HBP group (p less than 0.05). A slight but insignificant increase in afferent resistance was present in the HBP group. A positive correlation was found between mean arterial pressure and stop flow pressure (SFP) (r = 0.64, p less than 0.05) but not with SNGFR, suggesting a reduction in the ultrafiltration coefficient in hypertensive rats. This was further supported by studies of the activity of the TGFS, which demonstrated that interrupting flow to the macula densa was followed by a smaller increment in SNGFR in HBP, in spite of a similar rise in SFP. The mechanism responsible for decreasing glomerular permeability is unknown but could be related to structural changes in glomerular capillary or to an increase in intrarenal angiotensin II, as has been demonstrated previously in this model. It is suggested that these adaptations occurring in the kidney exposed to hypertension can contribute to the maintenance of elevated arterial pressure after removing the stenotic kidney.