Nitric oxide prevents neutrophil mediated acute renal failure. Linas, Stuart, Dennis Whittenburg, John E. Repine. Department of Medicine, Denver General Hospital, 777 Bannock Street, Denver, CO 80204
APStracts 3:0171F, 1996.
The contribution of Nitric Oxide (NO) to ischemic acute renal failure is unclear. Because neutrophils (PMN) accentuate injury in kidneys subjected to ischemia/reperfusion and because NO has potent vascular and PMN effects, we examined the contribution of NO to PMN-mediated injury in isolated perfused rat kidneys. Non-ischemic and ischemic kidneys were perfused by the isolated kidney technique in the presence or absence of PMN and NO agonists [sodium nitroprusside (SNP), L-arginine (L-ARG)] or an NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor [N-w -nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA)]. In non-ischemic kidneys, the NOS antagonist decreased perfusion flow rate by 25% without affecting glomerular filtration rate (GFR) or tubular sodium reabsorption (TNA) while NOS agonist treatment had no effects. Following 20 min of ischemia/60 min reperfusion in the absence of PMN, NO agonist treatment potentiated ischemia/reperfusion-induced loss of GFR and TNA while adding the NO antagonist lessened glomerular and tubular injury. Reperfusion of ischemic kidneys with PMN resulted in PMN retention and potentiated ischemic injury. However, increases in PMN retention as well as decreases in GFR and TNA caused by PMN were prevented by SNP and worsened by L-NNA. Moreover, in non-ischemic kidneys, activated PMN caused renal injury and PMN retention which were prevented by SNP and worsened by L-NNA. In conclusion, 1) NO worsens ischemic injury in the absence of PMN; 2) NO prevents the PMN component of ischemic renal injury by blocking PMN retention and the deleterious effects of activated PMN on glomerular and tubular function.

Received 14 December 1995; accepted in final form 20 September
1996.
APS Manuscript Number F415-5.
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