Abstract
Summary
In eight studies, the plasma renin activity (PRA) was determined in blood drawn consecutively from the hepatic vein, a peripheral vessel, and renal veins. The renal venous PRA was consistently higher than the arterial PRA, indicating renal secretion of renin. In seven of the eight studies, hepatic venous PRA was, on the average, 26% lower than the PRA of blood entering the liver indicating hepatic extraction of circulating renin. That the elevated PRA seen in cirrhosis of the liver may in part be related to impared hepatic inactivation of renin is an hypothesis that merits further study.
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