Chronic administration of furosemide augments renal weight and glomerular capillary pressure in normal rats. Lane, Pascale H., Larry D. Tyler, Paul G. Schmitz, Departments Of Pediatrics, and Internal Medicine, Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital and Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, St. Louis, Mo Usa. Paul G. Schmitz, MD, St. Louis University Health Sciences Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, 3635 Vista Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, FAX: 314-771-0784, Phone: 314-577 -8765, E-mail: schmitzm@slu.edu
APStracts 5:0090F, 1998.
Angiotensin II (ANG II) is believed to promote progressive renal injury via augmented glomerular capillary hydraulic pressure (PGC). Acute volume reduction secondary to diuretic administration increases circulating ANG II and augments PGC, yet the hemodynamic effects of sustained diuretic administration are unknown. Therefore, glomerular micropuncture studies were performed in male Munich-Wistar rats after 6-8 weeks of treatment with daily furosemide (F; 40 mg/d), furosemide plus the AT1 receptor antagonist, losartan (F+L; 5 mg/d), or no therapy (C; control). Renal weight was increased in F rats (1.23 +/- 0.7 gm) versus C (1.00 +/- 0.06 gm) or F+L (0.97 +/- 0.01 gm). In addition PGC was elevated in F animals (52.1 +/- 1.5 mm Hg) versus C (43.7 +/- 1.5) or F+L treated rats (41.3 +/- 1.7). F treated rats were also characterized by a relative increase in efferent arteriolar resistance and filtration fraction. The latter was markedly attenuated in F+L treated animals. Collectively, these findings are consistent with an ANG II-mediated alteration in intrarenal hemodynamics. In contrast to acute volume manipulations, however, chronic furosemide augmented renal growth while losartan administration completely arrested this phenomenon. Further studies are warranted to determine if the hemodynamic and growth adaptations elicited by chronic F administration induce or accelerate renal injury.

Received 24 July 1997; accepted in final form 27 April 1998.
APS Manuscript Number F247-7.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Renal Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1998 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 8 May 1998