Response of chronic renovascular hypertension to surgical correction or prolonged blockade of the renin-angiotensin system by two inhibitors in the rat.

1. Removal of the renal artery constriction but not of the clipped kidney restored the blood pressure to normal levels in Goldblatt two-kidney rats with hypertension of more than 4 months' duration. 2. Despite the differences in blood pressure response, both surgical procedures lowered plasma renin concentration to normal or below normal values. 3. Administration of the oral converting enzyme inhibitor SQ 14 225 produced a marked fall in blood pressure in Goldblatt kidney rats with chronic hypertension. However, a prolonged infusion of the angiotensin II antagonist saralasin was quite ineffective. The difference in response to the two inhibitors may have been due to bradykinin potentiation by the converting enzyme inhibitor. 4. Although plasma renin is often elevated in Goldblatt two-kidney rats with hypertension of more than 4 months' duration, the renin-angiotensin system plays no role in the maintenance of blood pressure at this stage.