Angiotensin-converting enzyme activity of the brain and the aorta in experimental hypertensive rats.

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Abstract
Angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in 6 areas of the brain (cerebral cortex, midbrain, thalamus, hypothalamus, striatum and cerebellum) and subcellular fractions of the aorta (homogenate, mitochondria, microsomes and supernatant) was determined in both normotensive and renal hypertensive rats [Goldblatt 1-clip, 1-kidney (1-c, 1-k) and 1-c, 2-k hypertensive and 2-c, 2-k hypertensive rats]. Converting-enzyme activity was relatively high in the thalamus and relatively low in the cerebellum in normotensive and renal hypertensive rats. The enzyme activity in the hypothalamus of Goldblatt 1-c, 2-k rats was significantly higher than that of normotensive and other renal hypertensive rats. There was no signficant difference in the enzyme activity in each brain area among normotensive, Goldblatt 1-c, 1-k hypertensive and 2-c, 2-k hypertensive rats. The enzyme activity of the supernatant from aortic subcellular fractions was extremely high in normotensive and renal hypertensive rats. The enzyme activity in all aortic fractions from Goldblatt 1-c, 2-k rats was significantly higher than that of normotensive Goldblatt 1-c, 1-k hypertensive and 2-c, 2-k hypertensive rats. Increased angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in the brain and the aorta may play a role in the initiation or the maintenance of hypertension in Goldblatt 1-c, 2-k hypertensive rats.