Fate of circulating renin in conscious rats.

Highly purified 125I-labeled rat renal renin (125I-renin) was given intravenously to conscious rats to study the fate of circulating renin. Specific antirat renin antiserum was used to identify the labeled renin molecules. In sham-operated rats, the disappearance of 125I-renin from the plasma showed two exponential components with a half-life of 6.7 +/- 0.4 min for the rapid component and 65.1 +/- 5.7 min for the slow component. The metabolic clearance rate was 11.4 +/- 1.0 ml X min-1 X kg-1. In bilaterally nephrectomized rats, the metabolic clearance rate of 125I-renin was reduced by 55%, but the half-life of the slow component remained unchanged. Seventy percent hepatectomy caused a 54% decrement in the metabolic clearance and prolonged the half-life of the slow component. Five minutes after injection of 125I-renin, approximately 59 and 11% of the administered 125I-renin had accumulated in the liver and the kidneys, respectively, and at later time points the 125I-renin was highly concentrated in these organs. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of the liver and kidney extracts demonstrated that 125I-renin was catabolized by these organs. Biliary excretion of 125I-renin was negligible. Urinary excretion of 125I-renin up to 120 min was approximately 2% of the injected dose. We conclude that both the liver and the kidney are responsible for the clearance of circulating renin, with participation of the liver being predominant.