Thromboxane mediates glomerular haemodynamics in a model of chronic glomerular disease.

In order to evaluate a possible haemodynamic role of cyclooxygenase products in chronic renal disease, a model of chronic glomerular injury was induced in nephritic rats by unilateral nephrectomy and high dietary protein intake. Eight weeks after induction of an in situ immune complex glomerulonephritis (CGN), rats subjected to high protein (HP) intake (42% protein) and uninephrectomy revealed a significantly lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR; 485 +/- 53 microliters min-1 100 g-1 body weight (BW)) compared with uninephrectomized rats with ICGN which were on low protein (LP) diet (6% protein) (825 +/- 155 microliters min-1 100 g-1 BW) (P less than 0.01). The glomerular thromboxane B2 (TxB2) formation in uninephrectomized rats with ICGN on either LP or HP intake was not significantly different (HP: 473 +/- 61; LP: 493 +/- 63 pg mg-1 min-1), but was significantly higher when compared with non-nephritic controls on either diet. Glomerular prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in rats on HP diet was higher compared with rats with LP intake (HP: 617 +/- 67; LP: 351 +/- 76 pg mg-1 min-1) (P less than 0.01). The thromboxane receptor blocker daltroban significantly elevated suppressed GFR in ICGN rats on HP diet (ICGN+vehicle: 426 +/- 69; ICGN+daltro: 689 +/- 66 microliters min-1 100 g-1 BW) (P less than 0.01). Thromboxane receptor blockade had no effect on glomerular haemodynamics in ICGN animals receiving LP diet (ICGN+vehicle: 771 +/- 24; ICGN+daltro: 684 +/- 85 microliters min-1 100 g-1 BW).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)