Superior mesenteric sympathetic tone in conscious renovascular hypertensive rats

Blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery was observed with a chronically implanted electromagnetic flow probe in two-kidney, one-clip renovascular hypertensive rats (2K1C), one-kidney, one-clip renovascular hypertensive rats (1K1C), and normotensive control rats (NCR) in the conscious state. Arterial pressure was recorded with an indwelling catheter. Superior mesenteric resistance was calculated as arterial pressure divided by superior mesenteric flow. In all three groups of rats, superior mesenteric resistance remained almost unchanged when arterial pressure decreased markedly on ganglionic blockade with hexamethonium bromide. However, subsequent injection of a vasopressin antagonist (Manning compound) decreased superior mesenteric resistance significantly in 2K1C but not in 1K1C and NCR. Injection of vasopressin antagonist alone was without effect on arterial pressure and superior mesenteric flow in the three rat groups. Only 2K1C were judged to have appreciable sympathetic tone in resistance vessels of the superior mesenteric area, which was blocked by hexamethonium but compensated for by secondarily secreted vasopressin.