Age-dependent changes in afferent renal nerve activity in genetically hypertensive rats

Multiunit and single-unit recordings of afferent renal nerve activity (ARNA) were obtained in anesthetized spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats between 35 and 150 days of age. Intrapelvic backflow of urine at 20 mmHg excited ARNA at all ages in SHR (152 +/- 18% above control) and WKY rats (262 +/- 24%). In SHR, complete renal ischemia was more excitatory in rats older than 120 days (1,233 +/- 103%, n = 8) than in younger SHR (317 +/- 28%, n = 42). Single-unit recordings showed that this was related to the appearance of R1 chemoreceptors in older SHR and coincided with a decline in the proportion of R2 chemoreceptors in the renal nerves. Other chemoreceptive responses were identified in single units that did not show complete R1 or R2 characteristics, some of which showed responses consistent with a transformation process from R2 to R1 receptor type. R1 chemoreceptors were not present in WKY rats studied up to 150 days of age and, unlike SHR, the proportion of R2 chemoreceptors did not decline with age. Accordingly, complete renal ischemia in WKY rats caused a comparable excitation in multiunit ARNA at all ages (285 +/- 33%, n = 43). Oral enalapril from weaning to 100 days of age prevented hypertension in SHR but did not impair the responsiveness of ARNA to any stimulus. In WKY rats, enalapril treatment for the same period resulted in exaggerated ARNA response to renal ischemia (1,250 +/- 377% above control).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)