Korean Journal of Nephrology 1996;15(2):142-148.

신혈관성 고혈압 흰쥐에서 혈장 Renin의 기원

나국주 , 이종은

Abstract

In renovascular hypertension, the increase of plas- ma renin activity is one of the most important and fundamental mechanisrns elevating the blood pre- ssure. The present study was aimed to explore to what extent the clipped and non-clipped kidneys contribute to the enhanced plasma renin activity in the renovascular hypertension. Two-kidney, one clip (2K1C) hypertension was made in Sprague-Dawley rats. Their renal renin contents and in vitro renin release from the isolated cortical slice were deter- mined. Systolic blood pressure progressively in- creased following clipping the unilateral renal artery. On day 12 after clipping the unilateral renal artery, plasma renin concentration was positively correlated with systo1ic blood pressure, suggesting that the enhanced renin activity played a causal role in increasing the blood pressure. The renin content of the clipped kidney increased and that of the contralateral non-clipped kidney decreased. The sum of renin contents of the clipped and non-dipped kidneys did not differ between the 2K1C and control groups. The release of renin in vitro from cortical slices was also enhanced in the clipped kidney, whereas it was attenuated in the contralateral kidney. The magnitude of attenuation in the non- clipped kidney was more prominent on day 12 than on day 6. The sum of renin release from the clipped and non-clipped kidneys did not significantly differ between the 2K1C and control groups. These findings suggest that the plasma renin in the 2K1C rats is mainly, if not solely, derived from the clipped kidney. It is also suggested that the sum of either renal renin content or renin release from the both kidneys is not important to induce a high pIasma renin value and hypertension, of which physiological significance needs to be further explored.