Interaction between cGMP-dependent dilators and autoregulation in rat preglomerular vasculature

The influence of guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent dilators on autoregulatory responses (AR) of arcuate arteries (ArcA) and afferent arterioles at early sites and at juxtaglomerular sites (JAA) was assessed by videomicroscopy using in vitro blood-perfused juxtamedullary nephron preparations. AR were quantified as fractional changes in luminal diameter induced by doubling blood perfusion pressure (60-120 mmHg). Baseline AR ranged from 17 +/- 2% to 21 +/- 2% in ArcA and from 24 +/- 2% to 34 +/- 4% in JAA. Direct perivascular applications of increasing concentrations of 8-bromo-cGMP (8-BrcGMP, 10 microM to 1 mM), of the NO donors sodium nitroprusside (10 microM to 1 mM) and 3-morpholino-sydnonimine chlorhydrate (SIN1; 10 microM to 1 mM), and of rat atrial natriuretic factor (ANF, 0.1 nM to 10 nM) dose- and pressure-dependently dilated all vessels at 60 mmHg. Concomitantly, AR values were dose-dependently reduced or reversed to pressure-induced dilations. During application of 8-BrcGMP and NO donors, the segmental gradient of sensitivity of AR was ArcA > JAA; the opposite gradient was found with ANF (i.e., JAA > ArcA). The present results demonstrate that compounds known to utilize the cGMP-signaling pathway act as modulators of AR along the juxtamedullary preglomerular vasculature.