Renin release by renin-depleted rats following hypotensive haemorrhage and anesthetics

1. Renin-depletion, described as a decrease in renal cortex and plasma renin levels, was produced by clipping one renal artery of a rat and leaving the contralateral kidney in place (two kidney one clip hypertension), One month later the clipped kidney was removed and after 24 h recovery such rats were found to be renin depleted: renal cortex and plasma renin levels were 8 and 63% of normal respectively. 2. Such renin depleted rats were incapable of releasing renin (as judged by increase in plasma renin level) in response to severely hypotensive haemorrhage and had very blunted renin release responses to pentobarbital and urethane anesthesia (59 and 17% of normal respectively). 3. Our results confirm the hypothesis that a low renal renin status is associated with low basal and stimulated renin release. We suggest that the renin depleted rat may be a useful model for the study of the role of the renin angiotensin system in phenomena such as blood pressure compensation following hypotensive haemorrhage and drinking induced by beta-adrenoreceptor agonists.