The Adrenal Receptor for Angiotensin II is Altered in Essential Hypertension

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Abstract

To determine the mechanism underlying altered adrenal responsiveness in patients with essential hypertension, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis was assessed in normotensive and hypertensive subjects using three pharmacological probes: SQ 20881, a converting enzyme inhibitor; saralasin, a competitive angiotensin antagonist with prominent agonist properties; and angiotensin itself. All subjects were studied while supine and in balance on a 10 meq Na/100 meq K intake. The decrement in plasma aldosterone with SQ 20881 in 26 hypertensive subjects (15±3 ng/dl) was normal (13±4 ng/dl), suggesting that the altered adrenal responsiveness in hypertensives is not because of a change in a postreceptor event or in the relative contribution of angiotensin to the control of aldosterone secretion.

Authors

Gordon H. Williams, Norman K. Hollenberg, Thomas J. Moore, Stephen L. Swartz, Robert G. Dluhy