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Morphologic demonstration of adrenergic influences on the glomerulus
1Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-2584.
The American Journal of Pathology
|May 1, 1989
Summary
Adrenergic nerve stimulation causes kidney glomerular capillaries to contract, reducing filtration surface area. This morphological change, mediated by mesangial cell contraction, explains reduced kidney filtration under adrenergic influence.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Physiology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Adrenergic nerve activity influences kidney function by altering arteriolar resistance and filtration coefficients.
- The precise morphological changes in glomerular capillaries due to adrenergic stimulation were not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the morphological changes in glomerular capillaries induced by adrenergic nerve activity.
- To investigate the role of mesangial cells in mediating these adrenergic effects.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of microscopic vascular casts of glomeruli from stimulated and contralateral kidneys in rats.
- In vitro assessment of mesangial cell surface area changes upon exposure to norepinephrine using phase-contrast microscopy and video recording.
Main Results:
- Glomeruli from adrenergic-stimulated kidneys showed significantly smaller diameters compared to contralateral kidneys.
- In vitro, norepinephrine caused a significant decrease in mesangial cell surface area.
- Removal of norepinephrine led to an increase in mesangial cell surface area.
Conclusions:
- Adrenergic nerve stimulation induces glomerular corpuscle contraction, representing the morphological basis for reduced ultrafiltration coefficient.
- Mesangial cell contraction, regulated by adrenergic nerves, influences the number of filtration channels and glomerular volume.