The renin-angiotensin systems in adrenal-regeneration hypertension.

Adrenal regeneration hypertension [ARH] was induced after Ingle and Higgins, and Skelton in 13 female Wistar rats one and a half months old with the purpose of studying the function of the renal and the brain renin-angiotensin systems in that model of hypertension, before and after treatment with antihypertensive prostaglandin EI [PGEI]. It was found that a 30 days' application of PGEI induced a regression of the regenerated adrenal cortex, accompanied by a significant decrease in arterial blood pressure to normotensive values. Plasma renin activity did not correlate with the level of the blood pressure nor with kidney renin activity and was not influenced by PGEI. However renal renin activity, which was found to be increased, corresponded to the elevated blood pressure, and decreased almost to normal values with normalization of the blood pressure. A correlation between the brain and kidney renin systems was established in that increased renal renin activity was accompanied by low brain stem and medulla renin activity. The balance was restored by PGEI, which not only lowered blood pressure and decreased renal rein acitivity, but induced an increase of brain stem and medulla renin activity. It is concluded that there exists a notable connection between adrenal cortex regeneration, renal antihypertensive prostaglandins and the kidney and brain renin-angiotensin systems, which pays a correlated role in the mechanism of adrenal regeneration hypertension.