Renin secretion in conscious Lyon hypertensive rats.

To characterize the renin secretory profile in Lyon hypertensive (LH) rats, renin responses to reductions of arterial pressure and beta-adrenoceptor stimulation were assessed in conscious unrestrained LH (n = 13) and Lyon normotensive (LN, n = 14) rats under normal-salt diet. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) in the infrarenal aorta was recorded beat to beat for 3 h. Then, plasma renin concentration (PRC) was measured 1) in basal conditions, 2) during 10-mmHg stepwise reductions of MAP down to 60 mmHg using a chronically implanted aortic inflatable cuff, and 3) during isoprenaline infusion (62.5, 125, and 250 ng.kg-1.min-1 iv). Compared with LN, LH rats had an elevated MAP (146 +/- 3 vs. 111 +/- 1 mmHg, P < 0.001) and decreased PRC [4.2 +/- 0.6 vs. 8.2 +/- 0.8 ng angiotensin (ANG) I.ml-1.h-1, P < 0.001] and kidney renin content (216 +/- 14 vs. 1,149 +/- 103 micrograms ANG I.h-1.g-1, P < 0.001). Pressure-dependent renin release occurred below 90 mmHg in LN rats and below 80 mmHg in LH rats, and its sensitivity in the low-pressure range did not differ between strains. Isoprenaline-induced increases in PRC were weaker (P < 0.01) in LH than in LN rats. In additional LH and LN rats (n = 6-8), acute ANG II AT1-receptor blockade with losartan (20 mg/kg, followed by 10 mg.kg-1.h-1 iv for 2 h) induced lesser (P < 0.001) PRC increases in LH than in LN rats. Renin responses to isoprenaline remained blunted (P < 0.01) during losartan infusion in LH rats. We conclude that, in LH rats, renin secretion is independent of MAP in the range of its spontaneous variations and is poorly responsive to beta-adrenoceptor stimulation, the alteration of which cannot be explained by an enhanced feedback inhibition by ANG II.