Abstract
The mechanisms behind renal vasodilatation elicited by stimulation of β-adrenergic receptors are not clarified. As several classes of K channels are potentially activated, we tested the hypothesis that KV7 and BKCa channels contribute to the decreased renal vascular tone in vivo and in vitro. Changes in renal blood flow (RBF) during β-adrenergic stimulation were measured in anaesthetized rats using an ultrasonic flow probe. The isometric tension of segmental arteries from normo- and hypertensive rats and segmental arteries from wild-type mice and mice lacking functional K(V)7.1 channels was examined in a wire-myograph. The β-adrenergic agonist isoprenaline increased RBF significantly in vivo. Neither activation nor inhibition of K(V)7 and BK(Ca) channels affected the β-adrenergic RBF response. In segmental arteries from normo- and hypertensive rats, inhibition of K(V)7 channels significantly decreased the β-adrenergic vasorelaxation. However, inhibiting BK(Ca) channels was equally effective in reducing the β-adrenergic vasorelaxation. The β-adrenergic vasorelaxation was not different between segmental arteries from wild-type mice and mice lacking K(V)7.1 channels. As opposed to rats, inhibition of K(V)7 channels did not affect the murine β-adrenergic vasorelaxation. Although inhibition and activation of K(V)7 channels or BK(Ca) channels significantly changed baseline RBF in vivo, none of the treatments affected β-adrenergic vasodilatation. In isolated segmental arteries, however, inhibition of K(V)7 and BK(Ca) channels significantly reduced the β-adrenergic vasorelaxation, indicating that the regulation of RBF in vivo is driven by several actors in order to maintain an adequate RBF. Our data illustrates the challenge in extrapolating results from in vitro to in vivo conditions.