Atrial natriuretic peptide protects against acute ischemic renal failure in the rat

Because of its ability to increase glomerular filtration, antagonize the actions of vasoconstrictors, and produce vasodilation, alpha human atrial natriuretic peptide (alpha-hANP) was evaluated for its potentially beneficial effects in experimental ischemic renal failure induced by 45-60 min of renal artery occlusion in bilaterally or unilaterally renally intact Sprague-Dawley rats. After ischemia, a 4-h intrarenal infusion of alpha-hANP restored 14C-inulin clearances in bilaterally and unilaterally intact animals from 0.05 +/- 0.006 and 0.05 +/- 0.01 ml/min per 100 g to 0.314 +/- 0.04 and 0.25 +/- 0.01 ml/min per 100 g, respectively (P less than 0.001, n = 8), compared with normal values of 0.49 +/- 0.023 ml/min per 100 g. Histologically, there was a progressive decrease in medullary hyperemia and prevention of intratubular cell shedding and granulocyte margination as a result of the 4-h alpha-hANP infusion such that after 24 and 48 h the histological appearance of the tissue was essentially normal. The results show that a 4-h intrarenal infusion of alpha-hANP after renal ischemia can preserve glomerular filtration rate and reduce renal tissue damage.