Increased Plasma Renin During Renin Inhibition

The response of renin release to the administration of renin inhibitors cannot be studied with conventional enzymatic methods used to measure plasma renin. In the present experiments, a novel multirange enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for human and primate renin was used to investigate the changes in plasma immunoreactive renin after renin inhibition. A potent and long-acting statine-containing renin inhibitor, CGP 29 287, was injected in conscious marmosets after mild or severe sodium depletion. In mildly sodium-depleted marmosets, CGP 29 287 (0.1 mg/kg i.v.) reduced mean arterial blood pressure and completely inhibited plasma renin activity for up to 30 minutes. This response was associated with a transient increase in plasma immunoreactive renin concentration. After a dose of 1.0 mg/kg i.v., the reduction of mean arterial pressure and the complete inhibition of plasma renin activity persisted for up to 120 minutes. These effects were accompanied by a sustained increase in plasma immunoreactive renin concentration. In severely sodium-depleted marmosets, CGP 29 287 (1.0 mg/kg i.v.) induced a marked fall in systolic blood pressure and complete inhibition of plasma renin activity within 30 minutes of injection. Plasma immunoreactive renin levels increased to 257% of pretreatment values. The converting-enzyme inhibitor enalaprilat (2 mg/kg i.v.) induced a fall in systolic blood pressure of similar magnitude, which was accompanied by an increase in plasma renin activity. Levels of plasma immunoreactive renin increased to 210% of pretreatment values. Hydralazine (0.2 mg/kg i.v.) did not increase plasma renin activity or plasma immunoreactive renin levels despite a comparable hypotensive effect. These results indicate that inhibition of renin or converting enzyme induces a similar increase in renin release that probably is mediated by a common mechanism — the withdrawal of the negative feedback suppression by circulating angiotensin II. (Hypertension 7 [Suppl I]: I-61-I-65, 1985)