Effect of angiotensin II and ACTH on adrenal blood flow in the male rat adrenal gland in vivo

Angiotensin II (Ang II) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) regulate adrenal vascular tone in vitro through endothelial and zona glomerulosa cell–derived mediators. The role of these mediators in regulating adrenal blood flow (ABF) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) was examined in anesthetized rats. Ang II (0.01 to 100 ng/kg) increased ABF [maximal increase of 97.2 6 6.9 perfusion units (PUs) at 100 ng/kg] and MAP (basal, 115 6 7 mm Hg; Ang II, 163 6 5 mm Hg). ACTH (0.1 to 1000 ng/kg) also increased ABF (maximum increase of 91.4 6 10.7 PU) without changing MAP. ABF increase by Ang II was partially inhibited by the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (maximum increase of 72.9 6 4.2 PU), the cytochrome P450 inhibitor miconazole (maximum increase of 39.1 6 6.8 PU) and the epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) antagonist 14,15-epoxyeicosa-5(Z)-enoic acid (14,15-EEZE) (maximum increase of 56.0 6 13.7 PU) alone, whereas combined administration of miconazole and L-NAME (maximum increase of 16.40 6 8.98 PU) ablated it. These treatments had no effect on MAP. Indomethacin did not affect the increase in ABF or MAP induced by Ang II. The ABF increase by ACTH was partially ablated by miconazole and 14,15-EEZE but not by L-NAME. Steroidogenic stimuli such as Ang II and ACTH increase ABF to promote oxygen and cholesterol delivery for steroidogenesis and aldosterone transport to its target tissues. The increases in ABF induced by Ang II are mediated by release of NO and EETs, whereas ABF increases with ACTH are mediated by EETs only.