De novo intrarenal formation of angiotensin II during control and enhanced renin secretion

In previous studies it has not been possible to determine net intrarenal formation of angiotensin II (ANG II) from arteriovenous ANG II concentrations because of the high intrarenal ANG II degradation rates (DR). This study was designed to determine ANG II-DR and to estimate net intrarenal ANG II formation during normal and enhanced renin secretion rate (RSR). In anesthetized dogs, plasma renin activity and ANG II were measured in arterial and renal venous blood by radioimmunoassay during four periods: control, renal arterial constriction (RAC), angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition (MK 422), and MK 422 plus systemic arterial ANG II infusion. ANG II-DR was determined in each dog from the arterial-renal venous ANG II concentration difference during the period of ANG II infusion in the presence of ACE inhibition; this value was used to estimate net ANG II formation by predicting the amount of arterially delivered ANG II that escaped degradation. The average percent ANG II-DR calculated during ANG II infusion (range of 0.05 to 0.20 microgram/min) was 89 +/- 2%. In response to RAC, RSR increased from 11 +/- 3 to 24 +/- 5 ng ANG I X h-1 X min-1 X g-1. Arterial ANG II (67 +/- 11 pg/ml) and renal venous ANG II (29 +/- 6 pg/ml) increased to 133 +/- 18 and 61 +/- 10 pg/ml, respectively. Net intrarenal ANG II formation increased from 44 +/- 11 to 83 +/- 13 pg X min-1 X g-1 after renal arterial constriction. There was a significant relationship between the change in RSR and the change in ANG II formation rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)