Reproducible vasodilatation by platelet-activating factor in blood- and Krebs-perfused rat kidneys is albumin-dependent.

The vasodilator effect of platelet-activating factor (PAF) and its reproducibility was determined in rat kidneys perfused in situ with blood or in isolated kidneys perfused with Krebs solution or Krebs plus 0.25% bovine serum albumin (BSA) at 3 ml/min. Dilatation was measured as inhibition of the increase in perfusion pressure produced by stimulation of the renal nerves or by infusion of noradrenaline. PAF, in saline and 0.25% BSA, was infused into the perfusate at 0.05 ml/min to produce eight incremental consecutive concentrations from 3 x 10(-11) to 10(-7). Two sets of PAF infusions were made during nerve-stimulated responses followed by one set during noradrenaline infusion. With blood perfusion, PAF consistently produced dose-dependent dilatation and 3 x 10(-9) M reduced nerve-stimulated responses to 52% of control. This effect was reproduced by a second infusion. However in Krebs-perfused kidneys the effect of the first PAF infusion was not consistent, with responses either not affected or reduced only at the lower doses so that the mean maximum decrease was only 10% and the vasodilatation was not dose-dependent. The second PAF infusion invariably had no effect. On the other hand perfusion with Krebs and 0.25% BSA produced consistent and dose-dependent inhibition of vasoconstriction which was reproduced by a second infusion. PAF was effective at 10-fold lower doses in Krebs-albumin perfused compared to blood-perfused kidneys. These results indicate that exogenous PAF is a potent and reproducible dilator of the rat renal vasculature perfused with blood or Krebs-albumin solution but not albumin-free Krebs solution.