The inactive to active renin ratio in the kidneys and the plasma in diabetic nephropathy

We examined the inactive to active renin ratio in the renin granules of the cadaver kidneys and the plasma in patients with diabetic nephropathy. The inactive renin in the break-through fraction when the plasma or the renin from the renin granules was put into a pepstatin column was determined. The inactive renin in this fraction was activated by trypsin. Concerning plasma, the inactive to active renin ratio was 90 in the patients and 9 in the normal subjects. On the other hand, this ratio was 0.29 in the patients' kidneys and 0.28 in the control kidneys. These results suggest that the increase of the inactive to active renin ratio in plasma of diabetic nephropathy does not result from the change of the renin storage in the kidneys.