SPECIFICITY IN THE RENIN-HYPERTENSINOGEN REACTION

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Abstract
Specificity in the renin-hypertensinogen reaction was investigated by in vivo and in vitro methods, using kidney extracts (renin) from sheep, ox, dog, pig, chicken, shark, toad; plasma preps. (hypertensinogen) from ox, dog, chicken, shark, toad and man; and continuous blood pressure recordings from dogs, chickens, ducks, toads and snakes. Mammalian renin, e.g., from the pig, fails to react positively with hypertensinogen from the chicken, duck, toad, snake or shark; chicken renin reacts with hypertensinogen of chicken to form hypertensin but not with any of the mammals, amphibians or reptiles studied. Hypertensin, the ultimate pressor substance, is not formed in the toad, and probably in none of the poikilotherms, due to an absence of some essential part, or all, of the renin-hypertensinogen-hypertensin system; the most likely missing link would appear to be renin. Hypertensinase, the hypertensin destroying enzyme, is present in toad plasma but is practically completely inactivated by temps. below 15[degree]C; its optimum is 40[degree]C. The temp.-activity curve for hypertensinase of dog blood conforms essentially with that of toad hypertensinase. The persistence of pressor effect of hypertensin injs. into poikilotherms is due largely to a retardation of the destructive action of hypertensinase by the low body temp. In contrast to the chicken and mammal, the toad and snake are rapidly rendered tachyphylactic to hypertensin injected into the blood stream. The chicken shows no significant tachyphylaxis to hypertensin but a very pronounced tachyphylaxis to renin. These reactions conform with those seen in the dog.

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