Metabolic clearance of angiotensin II in pregnant and nonpregnant sheep.

Reduced vascular responsiveness to infused angiotensin II (ANG II) has been observed during pregnancy. It has been proposed that infusions produce lower circulating concentrations of ANG II in pregnancy, due to an increase in the metabolic clearance rate of ANG II (MCRangii). We have evaluated the MCRangii and the arterial plasma concentrations of ANG II during constant infusions of 1.15 micrograms ANG II/min into chronically instrumented pregnant (n = 6) and nonpregnant (n = 9) sheep. Although the pressor responses were significantly less in the pregnant than in the nonpregnant sheep (17.5 +/- 0.5 vs. 34.9 +/- 3.2 mmHg, P less than 0.001), the values for MCRangii were not different: 56.2 +/- 6.3 ml X min-1 X kg-1 in nonpregnant and 55.9 +/- 4.3 ml X min-1 X kg-1 in pregnant sheep. The steady-state plasma ANG II concentrations during the infusions were slightly less in pregnant than in nonpregnant sheep (388 +/- 36 vs. 454 +/- 36 pg/ml); however, this difference would be responsible for only a 2-mmHg reduction in the pressor response. We conclude that the reduced pressor response to infused ANG II in pregnancy is not due to an increase in MCRangii nor to lower plasma ANG II concentrations.