[Effect of parasympathetic agents on renin secretion in vitro]

A study was made of the effect of the parasympathetic agents on renin secretion by rat kidney sections after blockade of alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptors by obsidan and dihydroergotamine. The substances under study were administered at the concentrations 10(-8), 10(-6) or 10(-4) M. Renin activity was determined by radioimmunoassay. n-Cholinomimetics (nicotine, cytiton) were discovered to have a marked inhibitory action on renin secretion, reducing it to almost zero at a concentration of 10(-4) M. n-Cholinolytics (spasmolytin, benzohexonium) produced a dose-dependent stimulation of renin secretion with a 10-20-fold maximal increase. m-Cholinomimetics (aceclidin, proserin) and quateron provoked a 3-5-fold increase in secretion without a dose-dependent effect, whereas galanthamine exerted a negligible effect. Pilocarpine and m-cholinolytics (platyphylline, atropine) reduced the secretion by 2 times without a dose-dependent effect. It is assumed that the renal cortex contains n-cholinoreactive systems that have a direct or mediated action on renin secretion and m-cholinoreactive systems that modulate the activity of the former systems.