Angiotensin II and neurohumoral control of the renal medullary circulation

1. Angiotensin (Ang) II has multiple actions in the renal medullary circulation. It can induce vasodilatation and blunt the response of medullary blood flow (MBF) to renal nerve activation through AT(1) receptor-mediated release of nitric oxide (NO) and/or vasodilator prostaglandins. These actions require high intravascular and/or intratubular AngII concentrations, so are not apparent under physiological conditions. 2. Nevertheless, these mechanisms blunt the responsiveness of MBF to AT(1) receptor-mediated vasoconstriction. When these protective mechanisms fail, as when oxidative stress reduces NO bioavailability in the medullary circulation, AngII reduces MBF. If sustained, reduced MBF leads to the development of hypertension. 3. Chronic activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) induces oxidative stress in the kidney. Therefore, MBF may be reduced in models of hypertension associated with RAS activation both because AngII levels per se are increased and because of increased responsiveness of MBF to AngII-induced vasoconstriction. 4. Endogenous AngII enhances the responsiveness of MBF to renal nerve stimulation, whereas NO blunts it. Chronic RAS activation and/or oxidative stress should therefore be expected to enhance MBF responses to renal nerve stimulation. Consistent with this, reductions in MBF induced by renal nerve stimulation are enhanced in rabbits with AngII-induced hypertension, renovascular hypertension or after 9 weeks of fat feeding. 5. We conclude that the ability of endogenous AngII to reduce MBF and enhance the response of MBF to activation of the renal nerves could contribute to the development of hypertension under conditions of RAS activation, especially if accompanied by increased renal sympathetic nerve activity.