Angiotensin Type 2 Receptor Stimulation Increases Renal Function in Female, but Not Male, Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Accumulating evidence suggests that the protective pathways of the renin-angiotensin system are enhanced in women, including the angiotensin type 2 receptor (AT(2)R), which mediates vasodilatory and natriuretic effects. To provide insight into the sex-specific ability of pharmacological AT(2)R stimulation to modulate renal function in hypertension, we examined the influence of the AT(2)R agonist, compound 21 (100-300 ng/kg per minute), on renal function in 18- to 19-week-old anesthetized male and female spontaneously hypertensive rats. AT(2)R stimulation significantly increased renal blood flow in female hypertensive rats (P-Treatmen