title: Effect of cardiac receptor stimulation on renal vascular resistance in the pregnant rat.
abstract: Stimulation of cardiac receptors (CR) evokes blunted reflex reductions in mean arterial pressure (MAP) in pregnant compared with virgin rats. Because CR-mediated sympathoinhibition has preferential effects on the kidney, we tested whether, during pregnancy, renal vascular resistance (RVR) changes less in response to CR stimulation and investigated possible mechanisms. MAP, right atrial pressure, renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), renal blood flow (RBF), and RVR were measured in anesthetized animals in response to CR stimulation by graded atrial injections of saline. Baseline MAP and RVR and reflex changes in these variables during CR stimulation were reduced in late-pregnant vs. virgin rats (P<0.05). Reflex changes in RSNA were attenuated in pregnant rats, but changes in RBF as a function of RSNA were similar in both groups. ANG II AT(1)-receptor blockade increased basal RBF more in virgin rats (P<0.05), but between-group differences in reflex changes in MAP, RSNA, and RVR were maintained after AT(1) blockade. Thus during CR simulation, reflex changes in RVR were reduced in pregnant versus virgin rats. This difference does not appear to involve differential effects of ANG II.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and School of Medicine, Center for Clinical Pharmacology, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA. thine+@pitt.edu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hines
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Herzer
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D044140:Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1; D044139:Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012079:Renal Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D044140:Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1; D044139:Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin; D000804:Angiotensin II; D012965:Sodium Chloride