Effects of angiotensin II on plasma ADH, prostaglandin synthesis, and water excretion in normal humans.

To verify whether angiotensin II (ANG II) stimulates ADH release in humans and to evaluate whether endogenous prostaglandins influence the resulting renal effect of ADH, nonpressor and low pressor doses of ANG II were infused in nine normal volunteers under normal conditions (control study) and after prostaglandin synthesis inhibition with aspirin (ASA study). During ANG II infusion plasma ADH increased in both conditions. Plasma PGE2, urinary PGE2, and urinary 6-keto-PGF1 alpha increased only in the control study, whereas they were undetectable in the plasma and significantly reduced in the urine in the ASA study. ANG II caused a significant fall of glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow (with an increase in filtration fraction), fractional sodium excretion, and urine output in both studies. Despite the reduced urine output, urine osmolality decreased significantly in the control study, whereas it increased after aspirin administration. These results suggest that intravenous ANG II stimulates ADH release in humans but that the renal effects of the resulting increase in plasma ADH are different depending on the presence or absence of endogenous prostaglandins.