Hypertension, Vol 3, 126-133, Copyright © 1981 by American Heart Association
W Aoi, Y Doi, S Seto, S Suzuki and K Hashiba
We studied the dynamic responses of inactive renin and the form of renin
released by the kidney in the hypertensive patients. Significant increase
of active renin concentration (p less than 0.01) and decrease of the
percentage of inactive renin concentration (p less than 0.01) after sodium
depletion was observed in 15 essential hypertensive subjects with normal
plasma renin activity. In eight of 15 patients, significant increase of
inactive renin concentration (p less than 0.01) was observed after sodium
depletion. In the remaining seven patients, no significant change of
inactive renin concentration was demonstrated. A small increase of active
and inactive renin concentration was observed following sodium depletion in
six essential hypertensive subjects with low plasma renin activity (PRA).
In the unilateral renal hypertension after upright tilting, active renin
concentration in the renal vein of the affected kidney was significantly (p
less than 0.02) higher than that in the renal vein of the non-affected
kidney and the inferior vena cava. Inactive renin concentration in the
renal vein of the affected kidney was significantly (p less than 0.02)
lower than that in the renal vein of the nonaffected kidney and the
inferior vena cava. In four of five cases, the inactive renin concentration
in the femoral artery was less than that in the inferior vena cava.
Therefore, we might conclude that only active renin was released from the
affected kidney, and active renin became inactive by unknown mechanisms;
the ischemic kidney might also activate inactive renin.
ARTICLES
Dynamic responses of active and inactive renin in patients with essential and renovascular hypertension