Kidney is one of the important organs of the body.With both excretory and endocrine functions,it plays a vital role in regulating the normal physiological state.As a precursor of the nitric oxide(NO)synthesis in vivo,L-arginine is involved in intracellular and intercellular signaling via NO,a vasoactive factor,thus plays a key role in maintaining the normal physiological functions of the kidney.Alpha1-adrenergic receptor(α1-AR)mediates sympathetic nerves to regulate the heart,blood vessels,and nervous system of the body.The α1-AR distributed in vascular smooth muscle mainly mediates vasoconstriction.The responsiveness of α1-AR to adrenergic agonists decreases in rat models of kidney failure,diabetes,hypertension,and left ventricular hypertrophy,which affects the hemodynamic state and vascular tone of the kidney.Here we analyze the ways via which L-arginine improves the responsiveness of α1-AR to its agonists by ellucidating the action mode of NO/α1-AR and their effects on renal functions.
Keywords: L-arginine; kidney; nitric oxide; α 1-adrenergic receptor.