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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Mar 3.
Published in final edited form as: Compr Physiol. 2011 Apr;1(2):883–919. doi: 10.1002/cphy.c100039

Figure 3.

Figure 3

Schema of functional ET receptors in the glomerulus and renal arterioles (Panel A), nephron (Panel B) and vasa recta (Panel C). A = contractile ETA; B = contractile ETB; white B with shadow: relaxant or natriuretic ETB that stimulates NO production; white A with shadow: natriuretic ETA. The amount of ET receptor shown in a given area is representative of the level of ET receptor activity in that region. Afferent arteriolar smooth muscle has more vasoconstrictive ET receptors than do efferent arterioles, while efferent arteriole endothelium has more vasodilatory ETB than does afferent arteriole (Panel A). Podocytes and mesangial cells contain primarily contractile ETA (Panel A). The inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) has the greatest density of natriuretic ET receptors, although natriuretic ET receptors exist in the cortical collecting duct (CCD), thick ascending limb (TAL) and proximal tubule (PT) (Panel B). Vasa recta express contractile ETA on pericytes and vasodilatory ETB on endothelial cells (Panel C).