Relation of Renal Arterial Pressure to Activity of Renin-Angiotensin System in Renal Hypertension.

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Abstract
Unilateral renal hypertension was produced in rats by constricting the aorta just above the ostium of the left renal artery. This caused a sharp reduction in renal arterial pressure which usually remained below 80 mm Hg for 1-2 weeks. During this interval the renal vein blood contained a potent vasopressor agent and an elevated content of renin. By 2 weeks the left renal arterial pressure had returned to normal levels in most animals and this was associated with disappearance of the vasopressor agent from renal vein blood as well as a marked reduction in the output of renin. Not a single rat was encountered in which a low renal arterial pressure persisted indefinitely or in which the kidney continued to produce excess vasopressor material or to discharge an increased amount of renin. These findings indicated that in unilateral renal hypertension the renal arterial pressure probably governs the release of renin by the kidney and that low renal arterial pressure and hence increased activity of the renin-angiotensin system are limited to the early or acute stage of renal hypertension.