Renal opiate receptor mediation of renin secretion to renal nerve stimulation in the dog.

The present study was designed to evaluate renal opiate receptor mediation of the renin secretion response to electrical stimulation of the renal nerves in the pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized dog by use of the opiate agonist leucine-enkephalin (Leu-enk) and the opiate antagonist naloxone. In all animals studied, left kidneys were pump perfused at a constant renal blood flow. Renal perfusion pressure (RPP) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were unaltered at a stimulation frequency of 1.0 Hz; however, renin secretion rate (RSR) increased significantly in the nontreated group. High-frequency renal nerve stimulation (10 Hz) increased RPP and decreased GFR. RSR at the high-frequency stimulation was significantly augmented in the nontreated group. Renal arterial infusion of either Leu-enk (25 micrograms X kg-1 X min-1) or naloxone (7 micrograms X kg-1 X min-1) did not alter base-line levels of renal hemodynamics and RSR and did not produce significant changes in these variables even when renal nerves were stimulated at the low frequency; however, Leu-enk inhibited RPP and RSR responses to the high-frequency stimulation, and naloxone augmented these responses. Phentolamine (13 micrograms X kg-1 X min-1) prevented renal hemodynamic responses to the renal nerve stimulation, whereas RSR responses to the stimulation were unaffected. Propranolol (8 micrograms X kg-1 X min-1) resulted in decreases in RSR at the renal nerve stimulation despite the presence of changes in renal hemodynamics similar to the other groups. The results indicate that intrarenal opiate receptors may participate in inhibiting renal secretion of renin mediated by the renal nerves when renal vasoconstriction and reduction of GFR occurred at the high-frequency stimulation.