• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 1982

The change of plasma renin activity is one of the most important parameters explaining the pathological physiology of the hypertension. The relation between renal renin activity and plasma renin activity has not well been documented since last decades. In an attempt to clarify the relationship a series of experiments have been done in rats. The following results were observed. 1) Renal renin activity of clamped kidney increased after silver clipping and the increments were maintained until four to five weeks of operation. 2) Renal renin activity of the untouched contralateral kidney was vulnerable to be suppressed just after clamping, and the activity disappered almost below the limitation of the radioimmunoassay sensitivity up to four weeks. 3) Plasma lenin activity was changed by the renal renin activity, but the regression coefficient from the two kidney one clip Goldblatt hypertensive rats was different from the sham-operated, or age-matched control rats. 4) Plasma renin activity of all the groups tested has the exponential curve in terms of renal renin activity. These data suggest that the renal renin activity is important to control the plasma renin activity in certain experimental condition, especially in chronic status.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 1990

Poly (A) + RNA was isolated from mouse submaxillary gland and renin mRNA was isolated by poly (U)-sepharose chromatography and sucrose linear densiW gradient centifugation. And renin mRNA was identified by in vitro translation and immunoprecipitation. In order to construct recombinant plasmid, renin cDNA was synthesized by using reverse transcriptase and inserted into EcoRi site of PUC19. In addition, the cDNA was also synthesized using polymerase chain reaction and inserted into HindlIl site of PUC19. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into JMlO3 and the expression of the inserted renin cDNA was examined. The transformant produced renin protein having a molecular weight of 45, 000 dolton, which showed hypertensive effect upon injecting it into rabbit ear vein. A renin genomic library was prepared by inserting rabbit kidney DNA into EMBL3 phage, and was screeined for the isolation of renin gemomic DNA using renin cDNA probe.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.295-305
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• 1988

It has been well known that the renal cortical blood flow rate was much higher than that of the medulla and the renal blood flow distribution was affected by hemorrhage, volume expansion or salt-loading. The existance of the heterogeneities of glomerular filtration rate and nephron has also been reported. In order to understand the regulations and physiological roles of the heterogeneities, studies on the intrarenal renin-angiotensin system have been focused. Although it is well known that the granularity of iuxtaglomerular cells and renal renin content are more marked in superficial than in the deep glomeruli, their physiological significance is not quite clear. This study was therefore undertaken to clarify changes in renin response and isoelectric ronin profile to TMB-8 in outer, mid and inner cotices of normotensive and hypertensive rats. The basal rate of renin release was highest in outer cortex of Sprague-Dawley rat (SDR), Wistar rat (WR) and spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). The basal renin release from outer and inner cortex of SHR was significantly lower than that from those of SDR. The reponse of renin release to TM8-8 was highest in mid cortex and the increase of renin release in response to TMB-8 from inner cortex of SDR was significantly higher than that in SHR. In dehydrated rats, the basal renin release from renal cortical slices of SDR was increased but that from WR and SHR was not. The response of renin release to TMB-8 from mid and inner cortex of dehydrated WR tended to increase. In dehyrated SHR, increase of renin release from inner cortex was significantly higher than that in euhydrated SHR. No significant differences in the isoelectric renin profile were found both in different cortical areas and strains. In dehydrated rats, the percentage of renin form 2 was decreased and those of renin form 5 and 6 were increased. These results suggest that the heterogeneity of renin release from cortical area of euhydrated and dehydrated rats in response to TMB-8 may be related to the changes of renal blood flow and/or calcium metabolism in cortical area. These data also suggest that the renin forms with different isoelectric points may have an physiological significance.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 1991

In order to determine possible relationships between the renin-angiotensin system and nephron heterogeneity, we compared the response of renin release and the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity from different areas of the rat kidney. We used the renal cortical slices from the capsular surface to the juxtamedullary junction. Slices from outer one-third of the cortex were designated as outer cortical slices (OC), middle one-third as midcortical slices (MC), and inner one-third as inner cortical slices (IC). The renal renin content markedly decreased from OC and MC to IC. The basal lenin release was higher in OC than in MC or IC. On the contrary the percent change of renin release in response to L-isoproterenol was significantly higher in MC than in OC or IC. By TMB-8, the renin release in MC by $231{\pm}21%$ was higher than OC by $171{\pm}19%$ or IC by $$162{\pm}19. Angiotensin II suppressed renin release in OC and MC by $68{\pm}2,\;71{\pm}4%$ respectively, but only $40{\pm}7%$ in IC. The ACE activity was higher in IC than in OC, MC, medulla and papilla. The present data indicate that renin content and basal lenin release gradulally decreased from outer (OC) to inner (IC) cortex. The renin release in response to beta-adrenergic agonist, L-isoproterenol and intracellular calcium antagonist, TMB-8 were higher in MC than in OC and IC, but angiotensin II suppressed renin release less in IC than in OC and MC. It is suggested that juxtaglomerular cells of outer, mid-and inner cortices show a difference in renin release response to the stimuli.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.55-59
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• 1976

Most investigators have come to stress two different concepts of mechanism controlling renin release; intrarenal baroreceptor theory and the macula densa theory(Vander 1967, Thurau and Masson 1974). In the macula densa theory, the specific macula densa parameter, most commonly suggested as a possible signal, is either the osmolality or the concentration of sodium in the tubular fluid (Thurau 1964, Vander and Miller 1964, Reeves and Sommers 1965). It has been shown that sodium plays an important role in the release of renin either in vivo (Thurau 1964, Vander and Miller 1964, Thurau et al 1972) or in vitro experiments(Oelkers et al 1970, Hammerson et al 1971, Michelakis 1971). On the other hand the osmolality appears to have no effect on the release of renin in vivo (Vander 1967, Thurau and Masson 1974). However, there has been little attempt to study the effect of osmolality on in vitro renin release. We therefore undertook the present investigation to elucidate the effect of osmolality on renin release and to further test the sodium influence upon the release of renin from isolated kidney slice preparations. Isolated renal cortical slices were washed with normal Krebs-Hensenleit bicarbonate buffer solution and incubated for 30 minutes in a medium containing an appropriate concentration of sodium and osmolality. The renin released into the medium was measured by the method of radioimmunoassay(Haber et al 1969). The results obtained are as follows; 1. The release of renin from renal cortical slices was progressively inhibited as the sodium concentration in the medium increased. 2. No significant alteration in renin release was observed when osmolality of the medium was changed. These results suggest that the release of renin from the renal cortical slices is directly affected by the changes in sodium concentration in the medium, but is not influenced by the alterations in osmolality.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.89-102
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• 1986

It has long been suggested that the change of renin-angiotensin system is responsible for the increased arterial blood pressure in the experimental hypertension. But the exact nature of the cause and maintenance of early and late Phase of renal hypertension is still controversial. Increased renin-angiotensin system has been suggested. To clarify the altered renin-angiotensin system in the early phase of two kidney one clip Goldblatt hypertension(2K1C GH), experiments were carried out in the rats of 3,7, and 14 days of 2K1C GH rats, sham-operated, and control rats. Responses of the plasma renin activity to the intravenous infusion of L-isoproterenol were dose-dependent. Responses of the plasma renin activity to the intravenous L-isoproterenol in 2K1C GH rats were not different from sham-operated control rats. Hypotensive responses of the 2K1C GH rats were not different from sham-operated rats. Suppression by intravenous infusion of angiotensin II of plasma renin activity showed a dose-dependent manner. Suppression by angiotensin ll of plasma renin activity was attenuated or abolished in the early phase of 2K1C GH rats. Intravenous infusion of arginine vasopressin(AVP) showed a dose-dependent suppression of plasma renin activity, Attenuated responses by AVP of plasma renin activity were noticed in the early phase of 2K1C GH rats. These results suggest that the altered renin-angiotensin system in the early phase of the two kidney one clip Goldblatt hypertension may be caused by failure of the short loop negative feedback control mechanism.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.170-176
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• 1997

Twenty two hypertensive and thirty normotensive in-patients were participated in this study to investigate the relationship between plasma renin activity and metabolism of Ca and Na, Prior to pharmacological treatments, renin activity, aldosterone and parathyroid hormone(PTH) levels were measured from the fasting blood samles. Twenty four hour urine samples were collected to analyze urinary levels of creatinine, Ca, Na and K. Habitual intake of Na and Ca were also measured for hypertensive and normotensive patients. Hypertensive subjects were classified into higher reinin hypertensive (HH), medium renin hypertensive(MH) and low renin hypertensive (LH) group according to their renin activities. PTH level of LH group was the highest among three hypertensive groups. It appeared that aldosterone levels of HH group were significantly higher than LH or MH groups(p<0.05). However there were no significan시 differences in aldosterone level between LH group and normotensive group. Habitual intake of Na and Ca were highest in LH group but lowest in HH group, however, they were not statistically different. Positive correlations of systolic blood pressure with PTH(r=0.2597) and aldosterone(r=0.26480existed(p<0.05). Urinary Ca level was positively correlated with urinary Na(r=0.5619), K(r=0.4533) and habitual Na intake(r=0.3253). Above results suggested the possible relationships among renin activity, habitual Ca intake and Na intake and suggested a further study on the interrelationship between the hormonal control of Ca and Na metabolism and blood pressure in hypertension.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.236-248
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• 1986

Alterations of renin-angiotensin system have been suggested as one of the mechanisms increasing arterial blood pressure in experimental and clinical hypertension. But the exact nature of high blood pressure in the early and late phase of renal hypertension is still controversial. To clarify the nature of renin release in both unclipped and clipped kidney of two kidney one clip Goldblatt lypertensive rat, experiments have been done in kidney slices, which were obtained from the rats of 3 and 7 days of operation. Basal rate of renin release was suppressed in unclipped kidney slices compared to clipped kidney Norepinephrine increased renin release from unclipped kidney slices, but not from clipped kidney slices. Suppressions by angiotensin Il and arginine vasopressin of renin release were attenuated in the clipped kidney slices compared to unclipped and sham-operated kidney slices. Increases by verapamil and trifluoperazine of renin release were attenuated in the clipped kidney slices compared to unclipped and sham-operated kidney slices. These results suggest that the negative feedback control mechanism of the renin-angiotensin system by angiotensin Il and arginine vasopressin is attenuated in the clipped kidney of two kidney one clip Goldblatt hypertensive rat, and that one of the altered mechanisms may be caused by certain regulatory changes of intracellular calcium and/or calcium-calmodulin complex in the juxtaglomerular cells.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.253-258
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• 2001

The present study was aimed to examine whether the expression of renin is associated with that of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the kidney. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were made two-kidney, one clip (2K1C) or deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive, to stimulate or to inhibit the endogenous renin-angiotensin system, respectively. The expression of renin and COX-2 mRNA was determined in the cortex of the kidney by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. 2K1C hypertensive rats showed an increased expression of renin as well as of COX-2 in the clipped kidney. The expression of renin was decreased in parallel with that of COX-2 in the contralateral non-clipped kidney. Removal of the renal arterial clip reversed the expression of both genes, along with the blood pressure, to the control level. On the other hand, DOCA-salt hypertension was associated with parallel decreases of renin and COX-2 expression. These results indicate that renin and COX-2 genes are coordinately expressed in the kidney.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 1975

Radioimmunoassay for the measurement of plasma renin activity (PRA) was performed in 43 normal Koreans and 45 patients with essential hypertension. Plasma samples were drawn in supine position in the morning and after upright posture for 4 hours. Urinary sodium excretion rates were measured in the concurrent 24 hour urine samples, as an index of their sodium balance. The results were as follows: 1. There was an inverse correlation between 24hr sodium excretion and PRA. The normal values of PRA in supine position ranged from 1.0 to 7.0 ng/ml/hr. when 24 hour sodium excretion were between 50 to 150 mEq. PRA in elderly tended to be low. 2. When stimulated by 4 hour upright posture, PRA increased by 2.6 times from the baseline value. 3. Of the 45 patients with essential hypertension, PRA was low in 10 cases (22.2%), normal in 28 cases (62.2%), and high in 7 cases (15.6%). 4. In the normal and high renin groups, who tended to be younger in ages, mean diastolic blood pressure and BUN were higher than in low renin group. Though hypertensive retinopathy and left ventricular hypertrophy in ECG were more prevalent in the former, no significant differences were noted as in the case of serum cholesterol. 5. There were 8 cases of cardiovascular complications (7 with cerebral vascular accident, 1 with myocardial infarction); 3 in low renin group (30%), 2 in normal renin (7.1%) and 3 in high renin group (42.9%). This figure indicated higher rate of cardiovascular complications in high renin groups, and lower rate in normal renin group. But the incidence of the complication was not significantly low in low renin group.