Secretion control for active and inactive renin: effects of calcium and potassium on rabbit kidney cortex slices

Release of active and inactive renin by rabbit kidney cortex slices was investigated. Inactive renin was estimated as the increase in renin activity after acidification (pH 2.8) of slice supernatant solutions. In Ca2+-free media, release of both active and inactive renin was increased but the changes in inactive renin were more marked. The percentage of total renin released which was inactive ranged from 8.3% ([Ca2+] = 9.2 mM) to 34.5% (zero [Ca2+]) with a linear relationship (r = -0.96) over the range of [Ca2+] studied. Depolarizing media ([K+] = 20 mM) suppressed release of inactive renin more than release of the active form. This effect, for both forms of renin, was lost when Ca2+ ions were omitted from the incubation media. This suggests that influx of Ca2+ ions was responsible for the reduced renin secretion following depolarization of the juxtaglomerular cells. Reducing the [K+] of the incubation buffer from 5.7 mM (control) to 1.0 mM did not alter active renin but increased release of inactive renin. Low [K+] media abolished the stimulatory effect of low [Ca2+] on release of both forms of renin. In incubation media with low [Ca2+] or with low [K+] the mixture of renins released by the kidney cortex slices correlated with that found in extracts of non-incubated kidney: that is, about 35% of the total renin was in the inactive form. Mechanisms controlling the secretion of active and inactive renins by the kidney are at least partially independent. Differential secretion of the two forms, perhaps linked to regulation of the activation of inactive renin before release, appears to be the basis of a control step in the over-all expression of the renin-angiotensin system. This may be coupled in some way to juxtaglomerular cell Na+ ion flux.