MECHANISM OF INHIBITION OF TUBULOGLOMERULAR FEEDBACK (TGF) BY CARBON MONOXIDE AND cGMP

Tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) is a mechanism that senses NaCl in the macula densa (MD) and causes constriction of the afferent arteriole (Af-Art). Carbon monoxide (CO), either endogenous or exogenous, inhibits TGF at least in part via cGMP. We hypothesize that CO in the MD, acting via both cGMP-dependent and - independent mechanisms, attenuates TGF by acting downstream from depolarization and Ca entry into the MD cells. In vitro, microdissected rabbit Af-Arts and their MD were simultaneously perfused and TGF was measured as the decrease in Af-Art diameter. MD depolarization was induced with ionophores, while adding the CO-releasing molecule CORM-3 to the MD perfusate at non-toxic concentrations. CORM-3 blunted depolarization-induced TGF at 50 μM, from 3.6±0.4 to 2.5±0.4 μm (P<0.01), and abolished it at 100 μM, to 0.1±0.1 μm (P<0.001, n=6). When cGMP generation was blocked by guanylyl cyclase inhibitor LY-83583 added to the MD, CORM-3 no longer affected depolarization-induced TGF at 50 μM (2.9±0.4 vs. 3.0±0.4 μm), but partially inhibited TGF at 100 μM (to 1.3±0.2 μm, P<0.05, n=9). Experiments using ETYA and indomethacin suggest arachidonic acid metabolites do not mediate the cGMP-independent effect of CO. We then added the calcium ionophore A23187 to the macula densa, which caused TGF (4.1±0.6 μM); {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"A23187","term_id":"833253","term_text":"A23187"}}A23187-induced TGF was inhibited by CORM-3 at 50 μM (1.9±0.6 μM, P<0.01) and 100 μM (0.2±0.5 μM, P<0.001, n=6). We conclude that CO inhibits TGF acting downstream from depolarization and calcium entry, acting via cGMP at low concentrations, but additional mechanisms of action may be involved at higher concentrations.