Effect of theophylline on renal vasoactivity of acetate and adenosine.

To examine the possible role of adenosine in the vasoactivity of acetate, acetate and adenosine were injected into the renal artery of the dog while measuring renal blood flow. Low (9-28 mg) doses of acetate produced vasodilation, but higher doses (28-94 mg), like adenosine, produced vasoconstriction followed by vasodilation. Theophylline, a competitive inhibitor of the vascular action of adenosine, inhibited the vasodilator action of adenosine but not that of acetate. Secondly, theophylline inhibited the vasoconstrictor effect of adenosine and acetate but the latter to a much lesser extent. These findings suggest that adenosine mediates the vasoconstriction effect of acetate in the canine kidney.