Production of Renal Hypertension in Adrenalectomized Dogs on Constant Hormone Replacement Therapy

Abstract

Summary

This study assessed the importance of increased aldosterone secretion secondary to acute activation of the renin-angiotensin system for development of chronic one-kidney renal hypertension. In dogs with intact adrenals, reduction of renal blood flow by 5560% promptly produced mild chronic hypertension. The onset of hypertension was associated with transient sodium retention and hyperreninemia, but plasma volume did not change. Although mineralocorticoid hypersecretion was impossible in adrenalectomized dogs maintained with constant steroid therapy, hypertension was still successfully produced. In contrast to the dogs with intact adrenals, hypertension in the adrenalectqmized group was characterized by chronically increased plasma renin activity, and plasma volume. The results indicate that hypersecretion of mineralocorticoid hormones during the early high renin phase is not essential for production of chronic one-kidney renal hypertension .