Role of renal interstitial hydrostatic pressure in the pressure diuresis response

The present study examines the role of renal interstitial hydrostatic pressure (RIHP) in the pressure-diuretic and -natriuretic response. The relationships between RIHP, sodium excretion, and renal perfusion pressure (RPP) were determined in antidiuretic and volume-expanded (VE) rats with an intact or decapsulated kidney. RIHP was measured by use of the implanted capsule technique. RIHP increased significantly from 7.5 +/- 0.8 to 12.0 +/- 1.4 mmHg in VE animals and from 3.3 +/- 0.4 to 5.2 +/- 0.7 mmHg in antidiuretic rats after RPP was varied from 100 to 150 mmHg. The pressure-natriuretic response of the antidiuretic rats was blunted compared with that observed in the VE rats. Decapsulation of the kidney in VE rats lowered RIHP and reduced, but did not eliminate, the pressure-natriuretic response. To determine whether this residual response was related to changes in interstitial pressure in the medulla, cortical (CIHP) and medullary interstitial hydrostatic pressures (MIHP) were simultaneously measured in VE rats with an intact or decapsulated kidney. In control rats CIHP and MIHP were similar at all levels of RPP studied. In rats with the renal capsule removed MIHP was higher than CIHP and rose significantly from 6.7 +/- 0.8 to 9.2 +/- 0.8 mmHg when RPP was varied from 100 to 150 mmHg. These results indicate that pressure diuresis and natriuresis is accompanied by changes in RIHP and the response is modulated by the basal level of RIHP. These findings suggest that changes in MIHP may serve as an intrarenal signal for this response.