Control of the renal microvasculature by vasoactive peptides

In recent years, numerous techniques have been developed to study renal microcirculation. These technical advances have provided new insight regarding the specificity of action of vasoconstrictor peptides (angiotensin II, arginine vasopressin, endothelin) and vasodilator peptides (bradykinin, atrial natriuretic peptide) at discrete sites within the renal vascular bed. Differential signal transduction mechanisms, particularly those related to calcium regulation, appear to mediate the renal vascular actions of these compounds, both in a segment-specific and agonist-specific manner. These observations substantiate the concept that regulation of intrarenal and intraglomerular dynamics is accomplished by selective changes in pre- and postglomerular resistance induced by different endogenous peptides. This microvascular selectivity allows precise regulation of glomerular and peritubular capillary function, and ultimately exerts great influence on the volume and composition of the final urine.