Plasma renin activity and hypertrophy of the right ventricle in hypoxic rats.

A NaCl load in chronically hypoxic rats abolished the increase in plasma renin activity occurring in rats exposed to hypoxia of the same degree and duration but with normal NaCl intake. The parallel reduction in hypoxic hypertrophy of the right ventricle in NaCl-loaded rats could be considered as indirect evidence supporting the view that renin may be involved in the development of heart hypertrophy.