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The glomeruli of kidneys subjected to reduced perfusion pressure were examined morphometrically. The left renal artery was narrowed for 30 min in anesthetized dogs with (n = 6) or without (n = 7) converting-enzyme inhibition (captopril). The kidneys were then rapidly fixed by glutaraldehyde perfusion at high flow rate. In a comparison of glomeruli of kidneys subjected to pressure reduction in captopril-treated and untreated dogs, there was significantly greater mesangial contraction in the latter, but morphometric analysis revealed no significant differences in the glomerular surface area available for filtration as evidenced by glomerular capillary volume fractions, surface areas of the filtering basement membrane between epithelial and endothelial cells, or the length densities of the glomerular epithelial slits. In a comparison of the left (pressure reduction) and right (no pressure reduction) kidneys in the captopril-treated dogs, there was no significant effect of reduction of renal perfusion pressure per se on mesangial contraction or glomerular filtration surface area when angiotensin (ANG) II formation was blocked. Thus ANG II caused mesangial cell contraction after renal artery stenosis, but this did not significantly change glomerular ultrafiltration surface area.

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1. Angiotensin II was infused into the renal artery of unanaesthetized dogs at 0.4 and 2.0 ng/kg per min for 40 min each. 2. Indomethacin (3 mg/kg, and 1 mg/kg per h infusion i.v.) accentuated the angiotensin II-induced falls in glomerular filtration rate, renal blood flow and urine flow rate. Indomethacin did not alter the effects of angiotensin II on Na+ or K+ excretions. 3. Aspirin (35 mg/kg p.o. 2.5 h and 0.5 h prior to experiment) did not significantly change the renal effects of angiotensin II. 4. Both aspirin and indomethacin accentuated renal vasoconstriction during briefer (5 min) angiotensin II infusion. 5. Thus indomethacin and aspirin had markedly different effects on the actions of angiotensin II in the kidney. This suggests that at least one of these drugs has actions which affect angiotensin II-mediated vasoconstriction other than via cyclooxygenase inhibition.