Renin release from different parts of rat afferent arterioles in vitro

A technique was designed to study renin release from superfused rat glomeruli with short attached arterioles (SAG), from single glomeruli with long attached arterioles (LAG), and from single afferent arterioles (AA). The preparations obtained by magnetic isolation and microdissection were superfused individually, and the renin release was measured by an ultramicroradioimmunoassay with a detection limit of 3 X 10(-9) Goldblatt units. The renin content of one SAG was about one-fifth of that contained in one AA. Isoprenaline (10(-5) M) did not change renin release from SAG, whereas renin release from AA and LAG increased threefold (P less than 0.01). A 30-mosmol/kg reduction in medium sodium chloride concentration increased renin release from SAG 50% (P less than 0.01). This challenge caused no change in renin release from AA. It is concluded that the isoprenaline-sensitive juxtaglomerular (JG) cells are located in the afferent arteriole only at some distance from the glomerulus, whereas those cells sensitive to sodium chloride are located within and/or close to the glomerulus.