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(Hypertension. 1998;31:836-842.)
© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.

Scientific Contributions

Human Vascular Renin-Angiotensin System and Its Functional Changes in Relation to Different Sodium Intakes

Maria Boddi; Loredana Poggesi; Mirella Coppo; Nicoletta Zarone; Simona Sacchi; Chechi Tania; ; Gian Gastone Neri Serneri

From the Istituto di Medica Generale e Cardiologia, Center for Heart and Thrombosis Research, University of Florence, Italy.

Correspondence to G.G. Neri Serneri, MD, Istituto di Clinica Medica Generale e Cardiologia, Viale Morgagni 85, 50134 Florence, Italy.

Abstract—A growing body of evidence supports the existence of a tissue-based renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the vasculature, but the functional capacity of vascular RAS was not investigated in humans. In 28 normotensive healthy control subjects, the metabolism of angiotensins through vascular tissue was investigated in normal, low, and high sodium diets by the measurement of arterial-venous gradient of endogenous angiotensin (Ang) I and Ang II in two different vascular beds (forearm and leg), combined with the study of ¹²⁵I-Ang I and ¹²⁵I-Ang II kinetics. In normal sodium diet subjects, forearm vascular tissue extracted 36±6% of ¹²⁵I-Ang I and 30±5% of ¹²⁵I-Ang II and added 14.9±5.1 fmol · 100 mL^-1 · min^-1 of de novo formed Ang I and 6.2±2.8 fmol · 100 mL^-1 · min^-1 of Ang II to antecubital venous blood. Fractional conversion of ¹²⁵I-Ang I through forearm vascular tissue was about 12%. Low sodium diet increased (P<.01) plasma renin activity, whereas de novo Ang I and Ang II formation by forearm vascular tissue became undetectable. Angiotensin degradation (33±7% for Ang I and 30±7% for Ang II) was unchanged, and vascular fractional conversion of ¹²⁵I-Ang I decreased from 12% to 6% (P<.01). In high sodium diet subjects, plasma renin activity decreased, and de novo Ang I and Ang II formation by forearm vascular tissue increased to 22 and 14 fmol · 100 mL^-1 · min^-1, respectively (P<.01). Angiotensin degradation did not significantly change, whereas fractional conversion of ¹²⁵I-Ang I increased from 12% to 20% (P<.01). Leg vascular tissue functional activities of RAS paralleled those of forearm vascular tissue both at baseline and during different sodium intake. These results provide consistent evidence for the existence of a functional tissue-based RAS in vascular tissue of humans. The opposite changes of plasma renin activity and vascular angiotensin formation indicate that vascular RAS is independent from but related to circulating RAS.

Key Words: angiotensin • renin-angiotensin system • vessels

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