Abstract.
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of the L-arginine analogue, N G-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, L-NAME, in modulating renal hemodynamics during postnatal maturation in conscious chronically instrumented lambs. To this end, renal hemodynamic responses to intravenous injection of 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg L-NAME, as well as its inactive enantiomer D-NAME, were measured for 4 h in conscious lambs approximately 1 week (n=10), 3 weeks (n=12), and 6 weeks (n=14) of age. Administration of L-NAME was associated with an increase in renal vascular resistance (RVR) leading to a decrease in renal blood flow. One-week-old lambs were more sensitive to the effects of L-NAME, a marked increase in RVR occurring after the smallest dose administered at 1 week but not at 3 and 6 weeks of age. Renal hemodynamic effects of L-NAME as well as the duration of the responses were also age dependent, such that changes in RVR were greatest and most prolonged in 1-week-old lambs. In addition, a smaller dose of L-NAME was required to attenuate acetylcholine-induced renal vasodilation in lambs aged 1 week compared with older animals. Our data provide new evidence to support the premise that endogenously produced nitric oxide plays a predominant role in regulating renal vascular tone early in life.
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Received: 27 November 2000 / Revised: 30 May 2001 / Accepted: 6 June 2001
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Sener, A., Smith, F. Renal hemodynamic effects of L-NAME during postnatal maturation in conscious lambs. Pediatr Nephrol 16, 868–873 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004670100672
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004670100672