Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition on renal norepinephrine spillover rate and baroreflex responses in conscious rabbits.

1. To evaluate the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition on sympathetic nerve activity, renal and total norepinephrine (NE) spillover rates were examined under control conditions and during enalaprilat infusion at rest and in response to sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced hypotension. 2. Resting renal and total NE spillover rate during enalaprilat infusion were similar to control values. 3. During SNP infusion at 10 micrograms/kg per min, renal NE spillover rate increased by 26% in enalaprilat-treated group and by 39% in controls, in response to falls in mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 25 and 19% respectively. 4. During sympathetic stimulation induced by SNP, total NE spillover rate was significantly increased in both groups, but the 50% (s.e.m. = 12) increase in the enalaprilat-treated group was less (P less than 0.05) than the 97% (s.e.m. = 16) change observed in controls. 5. Enalaprilat treatment resulted in a higher renal to total NE spillover ratio (P less than 0.05). The ratio fell in parallel in both groups during SNP-induced hypotension. 6. This study indicates that the sympathetic nervous system interacts dynamically with the renin-angiotensin system during hypotensive stimulation but this occurs predominantly at sites other than the kidney.