Autoregulation of renal blood flow (RBF) with and without participation of afferent arterioles.

The participation of the afferent arterioles (AA) in RBF autoregulation was studied in two groups of rats (groups A and B) by measurement of the afferent arteriolar diameters (dAA) by the microsphere method at control pressure (groups A and B), at the lower pressure limit of RBF autoregulation (group A) and at a perfusion pressure half-way between these pressures (intermediate pressure) (group B). The RBF was autoregulated from 109 +/- 7 (control pressure) to 80 +/- 7 mmHg (lower pressure limit) in group A, and from 101 +/- 4 (control pressure) to 77 +/- 3 mmHg in group B. In group A, dAA was significantly lower (17.2 +/- 0.3 micron) at control pressure than at the lower pressure limit of RBF autoregulation (20.3 +/- 0.03 micron) (P less than 0.005). In group B, dAA was 17.3 +/- 0.3 micron at control pressure and 17.1 +/- 0.4 micron at the intermediate pressure (89 +/- 3 mmHg) (P greater than 0.10). The results indicate that dilation of the afferent arterioles occurs only in the lower part of the autoregulatory pressure range. Possibly, RBF autoregulation at minor pressure reductions is achieved by dilation of the interlobular artery. Participation of the glomerular hilar branches of the afferent arterioles in RBF autoregulation cannot be excluded.