Oral NaCl produces stronger natriuresis and diuresis as compared with venous infusion of same amount of NaCl, indicating the existence of renal-gastric axis. Although numerous hormones are secreted in gastrointestinal tract, gastrin is evident one due to its natriuretic effects and taken-up by the renal proximal tubule (RPT) cells. We hypothesize that there is an interaction between gastrin and dopamine receptor in kidney, which synergistically increases sodium excretion, the impaired interaction would be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension. In WKY rats, infusion of gastrin, via renal artery, induced natriuresis and diuresis, which was blocked in the presence of CI988, a gastrin receptor blocker. Similarly, the natriuretic and diuretic effect of fenoldopam, a D1-like receptor agonist, was blocked by the D1-like receptor antagonist,
SCH23390
, indicating that gastrin and fenoldopam, via individual receptor, play natriuretic and diuretic effects. Our further study found that lower dosages of gastrin or fenoldopam could not induce natriuresis and diuresis alone, while putting together induced natriuretic and diuretic effects. The above-mentioned effects were lost in SHRs. We also found, in the presence of
SCH23390
, gastrin-mediated natriuresis and diuresis was partially blocked. Similarly, in the presence of CI988, the natriuretic and diuretic effects of fenoldopam were partially blocked, indicating the interaction between gastrin and D1-like receptor. The gastrin/D1-like receptor interaction was also confirmed in the RPT cells. Stimulation of one receptor increased the expression of the other. Stimulation of either D1-like receptor or gastrin receptor inhibited the Na
+
-K
+
-ATPase activity in RPT cells, while in the presence of
SCH23390
, the inhibitory effect of gastrin on Na
+
-K
+
-ATPase activity was partially blocked. In the presence of CI988, D1-like receptor-mediated inhibitory effect of Na
+
-K
+
-ATPase activity in RPT cells was partially inhibited. It indicated the synergistic effect between gastrin and D1-like receptor would increase the sodium excretion in WKY rats; the impaired interaction might be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension.
Role of Renal Dopamine Receptor in the Pathogenesis of Hypertension after Sodium Loading