Catecholamines and the Kidney: Receptors and Renal Function

Catecholamines are involved in modulating a number of aspects of renal physiology, including renal blood flow, glomerular filtration, tubular trans­ port, and renin and erythropoietin release. [reviewed in detail in (16, 17, 24, 26, 30, 31, 43,63,69)]. In this article we briefly consider effects of catechola­ mines on renal function and emphasize the need for better means of identifi.­ cation of renal adrenergic receptors, primarily through the use of radioligand binding techniques. Only the most rudimentary information exists regarding adrenergic receptors in the kidney. Thus, we wish to give the reader a framework with which to evaluate information likely to be forthcoming on renal receptors for catecholamines. For brevity's sake we have cited mostly reviews and work published since 1977.