Renal prostaglandins in borderline and sustained essential hypertension

To assess the implication of renal prostaglandins in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, urinary PGE2 and PGF2 alpha were measured in 22 control subjects (11 males) and in 58 patients (33 males) with borderline and sustained essential hypertension under strictly control conditions. Although the mean PGs urinary excretion in essential hypertension was not significantly different from control subjects, 12% of the patients had very low PGE2 levels comparable to subjects receiving prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors. There was no difference in urinary PGE2 between borderline and sustained essential hypertension. Urinary PGF2 alpha values were also not significantly different in normal subjects and in hypertensive patients, although four patients (2 of each sex) had excessively elevated PGF2 alpha. There was no significant correlation between the two urinary prostaglandins and blood pressure levels, plasma renin activity, urinary volumes and sodium excretion. These results suggest that with the exception of a small percentage of patients, the renal production of PGE2 and PGF2 alpha are comparable in normal and in hypertensive patients; the production rates of these two compounds are also not influenced by the degree or stage of hypertension.