The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of endogenous nitric oxide in renin release under different physiological conditions. In the first series of experiments, renin release was either inhibited by acute volume-expansion (VE) or stimulated by clipping one renal artery in the rat. VE was induced by intravenous infusion of saline (0.9% NaCl) up to 5% of the body weight over 45 min under thiopental (50 mg/kg, IP) anesthesia. VE caused a decrease of plasma renin concentration (PRC). With NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 5 μg/kg per min) superadded to VE, PRC decreased further. The magnitude of increase in plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels following VE was not affected by the L-NAME. In two-kidney, one clip rats, L-NAME-supplementation resulted in a decrease, and L-arginine-supplementation an increase of PRC. Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels were significantly lower in the L-arginine group than in the control. Blood pressure did not differ among the L-NAME, L-arginine, and control groups. In another series of experiments, the renin response to a blockade of NO synthesis was examined using in vitro preparations from isolated renal cortex. L-NAME significantly increased basal renin release, although it was without effect on the isoproterenol-stimulated release. These findings suggest that endogenous nitric oxide significantly contributes to the renin release. Since many factors may affect the renin release in vivo, an interaction between NO and renin under various pathophysiological states is to be further defined.
