Urinary prostaglandin and sodium metabolism in patients with essential hypertension.

Urinary prostaglandin E (PGE) excretion as an indicator of renal PGE, urinary aldosterone excretion, plasma renin activity, urinary sodium excretion, and urinary potassium excretion were measured after sodium depletion in 15 patients with essential hypertension to investigate the interaction between renal PGE and sodium metabolism. Following sodium depletion, urinary PGE excretion decreased, whereas urinary aldosterone excretion and plasma renin activity increased. Significant positive correlations were found between urinary PGE excretion and urinary sodium excretion (r=0.41, p less than 0.01) or urinary sodium excretion-urinary potassium excretion ratio (r = 0.43, p less than 0.005). These results support the hypothesis that the renal PGE may play an important role in the regulation of sodium metabolism and this action of PGE is independent of the renin-aldosterone system.