Differential regulation of renal regional blood flow by endothelin -1. Gurbanov, Konstantin, Irith Rubinstein, Aaron Hoffman, Zaid Abassi, Ori S. Better, and Joseph Winaver. Department of Physiology and Biophysics and R. Chutick crush research center, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel
APStracts 3:0168F, 1996.
The present study evaluated the effects and mechanisms of action of endothelin-1 (ET-1) on medullary and cortical blood flow (MBF and CBF respectively). CBF and MBF were measured simultaneously by laser -Doppler flowmetry in anesthetized male Wistar rats. Bolus injection of ET-1 (1.0 nmol/kg, iv) produced a sustained decrease in CBF (_= -30%) and a transient increase in MBF (_= +35%). The medullary vasodilation induced by ET-1 was observed with doses lower than that required to produce cortical vasoconstriction; was completely blocked by bosentan, a mixed ETA/B receptor antagonist; and was mimicked by IRL 1620, a specific ETB receptor agonist. In contrast, BQ-123, an ETA receptor antagonist, failed to inhibit the ET-1-dependent medullary vasodilation, but effectively blocked the cortical vasoconstriction induced by the peptide. Finally, inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthase completely abolished, whereas cylooxygenase inhibition attenuated, the effect of ET-1 on MBF.

Received 28 February 1996; accepted in final form 27 August 1996.
APS Manuscript Number F71-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Renal Fluid Electrolyte
Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 7 October 1996