Abstract
Twenty-one patients with essential hypertension received a constant infusion of angiotensin II and des-aspartyl1-angiotensin II for 45min on 2 consecutive days during normal sodium intake. Des-aspartyl1-angiotensin II increased mean blood pressure from 127.5±17.7 to 142.3±18.8mmHg and plasma aldosterone concentration from 12.1±7.8 to 18.8±11.4ng/100ml. Although plasma aldosterone concentration elevation was positively correlated with pre-infusion levels of plasma renin activity (r=0.862, p<0.001), mean blood pressure elevation was inversely correlated with the values of renin activity (r=-0.599, p<0.01). In contrast, elevations of both plasma aldosterone concentration and mean blood pressure were inversely correlated with pre-infusion levels of plasma renin activity in angiotensin II infusion. Des-aspartyl1-angiotensin II and angiotensin II were equally effective in suppressing renin release. These data demonstrate that des-aspartyl1-angiotensin II rather than angiotensin II plays an important role in aldosterone production in essential hypertension.
