Pressure Natriuresis in Salt-Sensitive and Salt-Resistant Sabra Rats

Abstract Salt-resistant (SBN/y) and salt-sensitive (SBH/y) Sabra rats are a useful model of salt-sensitive hypertension with incompletely explored renal mechanisms. We investigated their pressure-natriuresis curves, with and without deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)–salt treatment. To differentiate between extrinsic neural and hormonal mechanisms and intrinsic renal influences, we performed experiments with neural denervation, adrenalectomy, and infusions of vasopressin, norepinephrine, 17-hydroxycorticosterone, and aldosterone as well as without these maneuvers. In untreated SBN/y without controlled neural and circulating hormonal factors, urine flow and sodium excretion increased from 32 to 95 μL/min per gram kidney weight (gkwt) and from 4 to 17 μmol/min per gkwt, respectively, as renal perfusion pressure was increased from 85 to 146 mm Hg. Renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate were autoregulated and averaged 7.5 and 1.2 mL/min per gkwt. In untreated SBN/y with controlled neural and circulating factors, pressure-diuresis and -natriuresis curves were shifted toward the right, and renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate ranged between 4.2 and 9.1 or 1 and 1.3 mL/min per gkwt as perfusion pressure was increased from 99 to 164 mm Hg. In both protocols, values in SBH/y did not differ. DOCA-salt increased blood pressure in SBH/y. In SBH/y without controlled neural and hormonal factors, pressure-diuresis and -natriuresis curves were shifted approximately 20 mm Hg toward the right. Fractional sodium and water excretion curves, renal blood flow, and glomerular filtration rate were shifted rightward in parallel. On the other hand, SBH/y with DOCA-salt and controlled neural and hormonal factors had lower sodium and water excretion rates only at the renal perfusion pressure of 150 mm Hg as well as decreased renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate compared with DOCA-salt SBN/y. These data suggest that both extrinsic and intrinsic factors are responsible for reduced sodium and water excretory capacity in DOCA-salt SBH/y; however, the extrinsic factors may be more important.