Effect of oral potassium on urinary kallikrein excretion in essential hypertension

Urinary kallikrein and potassium were excreted in parallel in not only static but also dynamic sodium states. Oral potassium load stimulated the release of urinary kallikrein in normotensive subjects and WHO stage I essential hypertensive patients. Stage II essential hypertensive patients had the lowest value of basal level of urinary kallikrein and showed no increase in urinary kallikrein by oral potassium load. These results suggest that the functional activity of renal kallikrein-kinin system decreases with the development of essential hypertension.