Lack of effect of intraluminal pressure on renin release from isolated afferent arterioles.

To evaluate the role of the proposed baroreceptor mechanism in the afferent arteriole in regulating renin release, we modified the isolated perfused tubule technique to perfuse afferent arterioles. Arterioles with attached glomeruli were isolated from rabbit kidneys and perfused using standard methods. To stop the arteriolar flow and allow perfusion pressure, as set by a mercury manometer, to be built up in the lumen of the vessel, the glomerulus was sucked into a constriction pipette. The preparation was continuously superfused with Krebs-Ringer solution in the first series of experiment, and a cell culture medium in the second series of experiment. The superfusate droplets were collected under mineral oil with 10-min collection intervals. The renin content of the samples was assayed by radioimmunoassay of the angiotensin I generated. In the two series of experiments we tested the effects of sequential changes in intraluminal pressure on renin release. In the first series of experiments (n = 6) the renin release was 56.3 nGU arteriole-1 min-1 in the first 10 min of sampling. The renin release was then constant for 80 min with an average of 21.6 nGU arteriole-1 min-1. In the last 30 min the renin release was 96.5 nGU arteriole-1 min-1. In the second series of experiments (n = 8) the renin release was 26.5 nGU arteriole-1 min-1 throughout the course of the experiment. These results indicate that under these conditions there is no relation between renin release and intraluminal pressure in afferent arterioles.