Correction of renal hypertension in the rat by prolonged infusion of angiotensin inhibitors.

Injection of saralasin or converting-enzyme inhibitor produced a small variable reduction of blood-pressure in rats with two-kidney hypertension. Prolonged infusion of the inhibitors gradually reduced blood-pressure to normal. Control infusions of saralasin in normal animals and of dextrose in normal and hypertensive animals did not reduce blood-pressure. Plasma-renin concentration correlated significantly with the early but not with the later fall of blood-pressure. Plasma-concentrations of renin and angiotensin II were closely related except in rats receiving converting-enzyme inhibitor, when angiotensin II was relatively reduced. The gradual reduction of arterial pressure by saralasin was not associated with increased urinary sodium excretion.