To perform their functions, the kidneys maintain stable blood perfusion in the face of fluctuations in systemic BP. This is done through autoregulation of blood flow by the generic myogenic response and the kidney-specific tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) mechanism. The central theme of this paper is that, to achieve autoregulation, nephrons do not work as single units to manage their individual blood flows, but rather communicate electrically over long distances to other nephrons via the vascular tree. Accordingly, we define the nephrovascular unit (NVU) to be a structure consisting of the nephron, glomerulus, afferent arteriole, and efferent arteriole. We discuss features that require and enable distributed autoregulation mediated by TGF across the kidney. These features include the highly variable topology of the renal vasculature which creates variability in circulation and the potential for mismatch between tubular oxygen demand and delivery; the self-sustained oscillations in each NVU arising from the autoregulatory mechanisms; and the presence of extensive gap junctions formed by connexins and their properties that enable long-distance transmission of TGF signals. The existence of TGF synchronization across the renal microvascular network enables an understanding of how NVUs optimize oxygenation-perfusion matching while preventing transmission of high systemic pressure to the glomeruli, which could lead to progressive glomerular and vascular injury.

Acutely increased renal venous pressure (RVP) impairs renal function, but the long-term impact is unknown. We investigated whether chronic RVP elevation impairs baseline renal function and prevents exacerbation of renal dysfunction and cardiovascular instability upon further RVP increase. RVP elevation (20–25 mmHg) or sham operation (sham) was performed in rats. After 1 wk ( n = 17) or 3 wk ( n = 22), blood pressure, RVP, renal blood flow (RBF), renal vascular conductance (RVC), and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were measured at baseline and during superimposed RVP increase. Chronic RVP elevation induced extensive renal venous collateral formation. RVP fell to 6 ± 1 mmHg at 1 wk and 3 ± 1 mmHg at 3 wk. Baseline blood pressure and heart rate were unaltered compared with sham. RBF, RVC, and GFR were reduced at 1 wk but normalized by 3 wk. Upon further RVP increase, the drop in mean arterial pressure was attenuated at 3 wk compared with 1 wk ( P < 0.05), whereas heart rate fell comparably across all groups; the mean arterial pressure-heart rate relationship was disrupted at 1 and 3 wk. RBF fell to a similar degree as sham at 1 wk (−2.3 ± 0.7 vs. −3.9 ± 1.2 mL/min, P = 0.066); however, at 3 wk, this was attenuated compared with sham (−1.5 ± 0.5 vs. −4.2 ± 0.7 mL/min, P < 0.05). The drop in RVC and GFR was attenuated at 1 and 3 wk ( P < 0.05). Thus, chronic RVP elevation induced by partial renal vein ligation elicits extensive renal venous collateral formation, and although baseline renal function is impaired, chronic RVP elevation in this manner induces protective adaptations in kidneys of healthy rats, which attenuates the hemodynamic response to further RVP increase.

Background and ObjectiveIncreased renal venous pressure (RVP) is common in combined heart and kidney failure. We previously showed that acute RVP elevation depresses renal blood flow (RBF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and induces renal vasoconstriction in the absence of changes in blood pressure in healthy rats. We used our established rodent model of chronic combined heart and kidney failure (H/KF) to test whether RVP elevation would impair cardiovascular stability, renal perfusion and exacerbate renal dysfunction.MethodsMale rats were subjected to 5/6 nephrectomy (SNx or Sham) and 6% high salt diet followed 7 weeks later by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (CL or Sham). Experimental groups: CL + SNx (n = 12), Sham CL + SNx (n = 9), CL+ Sham SNx (n = 6), and Sham Control (n = 6). Six weeks later, anesthetized rats were subjected to an acute experiment whereupon mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), RVP, RBF, and GFR were measured at baseline and during elevation of RVP to 20–25 mmHg for 120 min.ResultsBaseline MAP, HR, RBF, and renal vascular conductance (RVC) were comparable among groups. Baseline GFR was significantly depressed in CL + SNx and Sham CL + SNx groups compared to Sham Control and CL + Sham SNx groups. Upon RVP increase, MAP and HR fell in all groups. Increased RVP exacerbated the reduction in RBF in CL + SNx (−6.4 ± 0.9 ml/min) compared to Sham Control (−3.7 ± 0.9 ml/min, p &lt; 0.05) with intermediate responses in Sham CL + SNx (−6.8 ± 1.3 ml/min) and CL + Sham SNx (−5.1 ± 0.4 ml/min) groups. RVP increase virtually eliminated GFR in CL + SNx (−99 ± 1%), Sham CL + SNx (−95 ± 5%), and CL + Sham SNx (−100%) groups compared to Sham Control (−84 ± 15% from baseline; p &lt; 0.05). Renal vascular conductance dropped significantly upon RVP increase in rats with HF (CL + SNx: −0.035 ± 0.011; CL + Sham SNx: −0.050 ± 0.005 ml/min·mmHg−1, p &lt; 0.05) but not Sham CL + SNx (−0.001 ± 0.019 ml/min·mmHg−1) or Control (−0.033 ± mL/min·mmHg−1).ConclusionChronic combined heart and kidney failure primarily impairs renal hemodynamic stability in response to elevated RVP compared to healthy rats.

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