Differential regulation of angiotensin peptide levels in plasma and kidney of the rat.

We compared the effects of the converting enzyme inhibitor perindopril on components of the renin-angiotensin system in plasma and kidney of male Sprague-Dawley rats administered perindopril in their drinking water at two doses (1.4 and 4.2 mg/kg) over 7 days. Eight angiotensin peptides were measured in plasma and kidney: angiotensin-(1-7), angiotensin II, angiotensin-(1-9), angiotensin I, angiotensin-(2-7), angiotensin III, angiotensin-(2-9), and angiotensin-(2-10). In addition, angiotensin converting enzyme activity, renin, and angiotensinogen were measured in plasma, and renin, angiotensinogen, and their respective messenger RNAs were measured in kidney; angiotensinogen messenger RNA was also measured in liver. In plasma, the highest dose of perindopril reduced angiotensin converting enzyme activity to 11% of control, increased renin 200-fold, reduced angiotensinogen to 11% of control, increased angiotensin-(1-7), angiotensin I, angiotensin-(2-7), and angiotensin-(2-10) levels 25-, 9-, 10-, and 13-fold, respectively; angiotensin II levels were not significantly different from control. By contrast, for the kidney, angiotensin-(1-7), angiotensin I, angiotensin-(2-7), and angiotensin-(2-10) levels did not increase; angiotensin II levels fell to 14% of control, and angiotensinogen fell to 12% of control. Kidney renin messenger RNA levels increased 12-fold, but renal renin content and angiotensinogen messenger RNA levels in kidney and liver were not influenced by perindopril treatment. These results demonstrate a differential regulation of angiotensin peptides in plasma and kidney and provide direct support for the proposal that the cardiovascular effects of converting enzyme inhibitors depend on modulation of tissue angiotensin systems. Moreover, the failure of kidney angiotensin I levels to increase with perindopril treatment, taken together with the fall in kidney angiotensinogen levels, suggests that angiotensinogen may be a major rate-limiting determinant of angiotensin peptide levels in the kidney.

Low-dose infusion of atrial natriuretic factor in mild essential hypertension.

Intra-arterial blood pressure, cardiac output, heart rate, right heart indexes, urinary electrolytes, and urinary volume were monitored in eight patients with untreated (WHO Class I) essential hypertension. The patients were given synthetic atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) (99-126 alpha-hANP) at 1 and 2 pmol/kg/min in series (phases 1 and 2, 2 hours each dose) or vehicle (hemaccel) in random order on two separate occasions while on their usual diet. Arterial plasma ANF levels increased significantly from basal and time-matched placebo values from 25 +/- 2 and 28 +/- 3 pmol/l to 50 +/- 4 and 83 +/- 9 pmol/l at the end of phases 1 and 2, respectively (p less than 0.001). After 30 minutes during phase 2, systolic blood pressure decreased significantly by 20 +/- 4 mm Hg (p less than 0.001) from basal and time-matched placebo values and remained significantly reduced (-17 +/- 4 mm Hg, p less than 0.001) by the end of the recovery period (2 hours after infusions were completed). Pulmonary systolic blood pressure decreased by 5 +/- 1 mm Hg (phase 2, p less than 0.05). Cardiac output decreased by 0.5 +/- 0.1 l/min below baseline at the end of phase 2 of ANF infusion, whereas it increased significantly (p less than 0.02) by 0.6 +/- 0.1 l/min during vehicle infusion. Systemic diastolic, pulmonary diastolic, right atrial, and wedge pressures were not significantly changed during ANF or vehicle infusions, nor were pulmonary vascular resistance or heart rate altered. Systemic vascular resistance did not change significantly during both infusions, whereas during recovery, systemic vascular resistance decreased significantly after ANF infusion was discontinued (p less than 0.05). Microhematocrit levels increased dose dependently during ANF. The maximum increase was observed at the end of phase 2 (+4.7 +/- 1.7%), whereas the microhematocrit level decreased to -2.4 +/- 0.6% with vehicle (p less than 0.001) at the end of phase 2. Urinary sodium excretion increased significantly (p less than 0.02) by the end of phase 2 under ANF infusion (+38 +/- 15%), whereas it decreased (-10 +/- 6%) under placebo infusion by the end of phase 2. Urinary magnesium excretion was significantly increased during ANF infusion from phase 1 (p less than 0.02), whereas urinary potassium levels, calcium levels, creatinine levels, volume, and glomerular filtration rate did not differ significantly between the two infusions. Plasma renin, angiotensin II, aldosterone, and catecholamine concentrations did not change significantly during ANF or vehicle infusions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Effects of sodium intake and aldosterone on the renal pressure-natriuresis.

To study the effects of dietary sodium and plasma aldosterone on pressure-natriuresis (PN) we examined six groups of adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats. Group 1 received normal-sodium diet, group 2 high-sodium diet, and group 3 low-sodium diet for 3 wk; group 4 was given low sodium for 3 wk then high sodium for 3 wk; groups 5 and 6 received high sodium for 3 wk but during the 3rd wk were also given aldosterone by subcutaneous infusion to mimic the plasma aldosterone seen in groups 1 and 3, respectively. After the diets, rats were killed, and urinary sodium excretion, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and calculated tubular sodium reabsorption (FRNa) were measured during stepwise increases in perfusion pressure in isolated perfused kidneys from each group. No significant differences in blood pressure were seen between any of the groups. The PN curves for groups 2 and 3 were significantly different (P less than 0.001) and shifted to the left and right of group 1, respectively. These shifts appeared to be the result of significant (P less than 0.001) differences in FRNa rather than changes in GFR. PN was not significantly different in groups 4 and 2, indicating that the effects of low-sodium diet were reversible. The infusion of aldosterone in groups 5 and 6 was associated with modest and significant (P less than 0.001) shifts, respectively, of the PN curve to the right of the curve of rats in group 2. In group 6 this shift appeared to be due to significant (P less than 0.001) changes in FRNa, so as to resemble that seen in low-sodium rats of group 3.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Low dose infusions of 26- and 28-amino acid human atrial natriuretic peptides in normal man.

To investigate the effects of a small rise in the plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentration, 6 normal subjects received 2-h low dose (2 pmol/kg.min) infusions of both 28 [human alpha hANP-(99-126)]- and 26 [human ANP-(101-126)]-amino acid peptides in a placebo-controlled study. Both peptides induced more than 2-fold increases in urinary sodium, calcium, and magnesium excretion. Effective renal plasma flow was slightly reduced, glomerular filtration rate did not change, and renal filtration fraction increased during the ANP infusions. Plasma renin, angiotensin II, and aldosterone concentrations fell by about 50%. Arterial blood pressure and plasma catecholamines did not change. Hematocrit and serum albumin concentrations rose significantly. ANP effects on urinary electrolytes and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system were sustained for over an hour after completion of the ANP infusions. The two peptides did not differ in their effects. These results are consistent with a physiological role for plasma ANP in the regulation of extracellular fluid volume and demonstrate that minor N-terminal truncation of alpha hANP has little effect on its biological activity.

The relative importance of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids in the development of adrenal regeneration hypertension in rats.

The adrenocortical tissue which regenerates after adrenal enucleation, and contralateral uninephrectomy and adrenalectomy, resembles histologically zona fasciculata tissue which normally synthesises glucocorticoids. However, increases in blood pressure after enucleation (adrenal regeneration hypertension-ARH] were preceded by a rise in exchangeable body sodium similar to that found with mineralocorticoid-induced hypertension (e.g. DOC/salt rat model). Glucocorticoid involvement in ARH rats was tested, firstly by infusing dexamethasone into control and ARH rats to see whether ACTH suppression would lower blood pressure by reducing adrenocortical activity and, secondly, by infusing dexamethasone into rats with intact adrenals to see whether conditions for ARH (i.e. uninephrectomy and/or saline consumption) pre-disposed rats to the hypertensinogenic properties of glucocorticoids. Low-dose dexamethasone infusions (10 micrograms/day for 5 days) in ARH rats did not affect blood pressure but in control animals caused a significant (P less than 0.01) increase from 128 +/- 3 to 151 +/- 5 mmHg. Corticosterone, 18-hydroxycorticosterone and deoxycorticosterone plasma concentrations were suppressed in both groups by dexamethasone treatment; plasma renin concentrations were lower in ARH rats than in controls. Uninephrectomy or 1% NaCl as drinking fluid did not affect the blood pressure rise induced by sc infusion of 10 micrograms dexamethasone/day for 14 days in rats with intact adrenals. The temporal relationship between blood pressure changes and exchangeable body sodium in ARH rats resembles that in mineralocorticoid-induced hypertension. Glucocorticoid, unlike mineralocorticoid, induced hypertension is not affected by a reduction in renal mass or increased sodium intake.