The effect of glycerol-induced acute renal failure upon cardiac reactivity in the rat: influence of indomethacin treatment and renal pedicle ligation

Abstract

Abstract Cardiac chronotropic responses to isoprenaline, carbachol and electrical stimulation of the cervical sympathetic and vagal nerves were recorded in rats with glycerol-induced acute renal failure (ARF) and control rats. The experiments involving electrical stimulation of cardiac nerves were performed in rats which either had been pretreated with indomethacin (1 mg kg−1 twice daily for 2 days) or had undergone acute bilateral renal pedicle ligation. The findings from this investigation indicate that the reduced chronotropic responses to vagal stimulation in rats with glycerol-induced ARF are due to a reduction in acetylcholine release mediated by prostaglandins possibly originating from the damaged kidneys. The diminished response to cervical sympathetic stimulation results from a decreased postsynaptic response to β-adrenoceptor stimulation.