Effect of familial hypertension on glomerular hemodynamics and tubulo-glomerular feedback after uninephrectomy

Familial hypertension, glomerular hemodynamic alterations, and dysregulation of tubulo-glomerular feedback (TGFB) have all been associated with the development of chronic renal failure. In the present study we evaluated renal and glomerular hemodynamics and TGFB responses in healthy kidney donors either with or without familial hypertension, before and after nephrectomy. Para-amino-hippurate plasma clearance (CPAH) and inulin plasma clearance (CInu) were measured in 15 kidney donors before and 1 year after nephrectomy. All subjects were normotensive and were kept in a sodium-replete state. Both clearances were measured after 40 min of constant infusion of PAH and Inu, as well as 20, 30, 50, and 60 min after the intravenous administration of acetazolamide (5 mg/kg). Glomerular hemodynamics were calculated by means of the Gomez formulae. Nephrectomy caused the expected decreases in CPAH and CInu and increase in the filtration fraction (all P < .0001). The decrease in renal resistances of the remaining kidney was greater at the afferent (-24%, P = .0075) than at the efferent arteriolar level (-17%, P < .0001). The TGFB activation was not altered by nephrectomy or by familial hypertension. Effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) decrease after TGFB activation appeared earlier than glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decrease before (P = .01), but not after, nephrectomy (P = .48). The presence of familial hypertension was associated with increased glomerular pressure (P = .0004). This study suggests that uninephrectomy in healthy human subjects causes a greater decrease in afferent arteriolar resistances, but that TGFB responses are not quantitatively altered. Familial hypertension is associated with a tendency toward higher glomerular pressures.