Antidiuresis produced by injection of renin into the third cerebral ventricle of the dog.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether centrally administered renin stimulated vasopressin secretion. Vasopressin was not measured directly, but, instead, changes in urinary water excretion in anesthesized dogs undergoing a water excretion in anesthetized dogs undergoing a water diuresis were used as an index of changes in vasopressin secretion. Intraventricular injection of hog renin in a dose of 0.1 Goldblatt unit produced a marked decrease in urine flow which was associated with a decrease in free water clearance and an increase in urinary osmolatiy with no change in osmolar clearance. Sodium excretion increased significantly but there was no change in potassium excretion. These effects, which closely resemble those resulting from an increase in vasopressin secretion, were prevented by hypophysectomy. The antidiuretic effect clearly resulted from an action of renin in the central nervous system since renin had no effect on urine flow or osmolality when administered intravenously. Intraventricular administration of saralasin acetate, a specific antagonist of angiotensin II, completely blocked the effects of intraventricular renin indicating that these effects were mediated via the formation of angiotensin II. The data therefore indicate that there is an interaction between injected renin, brain angiotensinogen, and converting enzyme resulting in the formation of angiotensin II which stimulates the secretion of vasopressin. Additional studies are required to determine whether the brain renin-angiotensin system plays a physiological role in the regulation of a vasopressin secretion.