Clinical Endocrinology (1981) 15,423430 EVIDENCE AGAINST AN INTERACTION OF ANGIOTENSIN I1 WITH THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM IN MAN

Animal experiments indicate that angiotensin I1 can, under some circumstances stimulate the sympathetic nervous system at a number of different sites. In order to determine whether such a relationship of the renin-angiotensin and sympathetic nervous system exists in man, we increased (by intravenous infusion), or decreased (by administering the oral converting enzyme inhibitor captopril) circulating angiotensin I1 levels and monitored plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline responses. Angiotensin I1 infusions did not increase plasma catechol-amines, and lowering of angiotensin I1 by captopril treatment in patients with severe hypertension or congestive heart failure failed to alter plasma adrenaline or nor-adrenaline levels. Whether physiological levels of angiotensin I1 are capable of interacting directly with the sympathetic nervous system in man remains to be demonstrated.