Tissue catecholamines in obstructive nephropathy and acute uremia in the rat

Previous studies have shown that the 24-h unilateral ureteral obstructed kidney (UUO) responds to acute renal denervation after relief of obstruction with an increase in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal plasma flow (RPF), natriuresis, and diuresis, while the 24-h bilateral ureteral obstructed kidney (BUO), undergoing postobstructive diuresis after relief of obstruction, shows no response to acute denervation. In the present study, renal tissue norepinephrine (NE) content and concentration were found to be markedly decreased in the BUO kidney suggesting partial renal denervation, while renal NE content was normal in the UUO kidney. The decrease in renal NE content in the BUO kidney was organ specific since myocardial NE was not affected, and was not due to acute uremia, since rats made uremic by 24 h of total intravenous urine reinfusion showed no change in renal NE content. Renal dopamine content was markedly increased in the UUO kidney, perhaps as a result of renal decarboxylation of dopa and failure of excretion, while renal and myocardial epinephrine content were increased in the BUO and urine reinfused groups, both of which were subjected to the stress of acute uremia. The decrease in renal NE content in the kidney undergoing postobstructive diuresis after relief of 24-h BUO probably indicates damage to sympathetic nerve terminals by high intrarenal pressure during BUO and suggests that partial renal denervation could contribute to the functional changes observed in this experimental model.