1. The relationship of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis with renal prostaglandin E is complex. Although studies have suggested that these two hormonal systems respond to experimental manipulations in a parallel manner, their interdependence has not been assessed fully during volume expansion. Since studies have demonstrated that in normal man the central hypervolaemia induced by water immersion to the neck produces a prompt and profound suppression of plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone concentration without concomitant alteration of plasma composition, immersion afforded a unique opportunity to assess simultaneously the effects of central hypervolaemia on plasma renin activity, plasma aldosterone concentration and prostaglandin E excretion.
2. Seven normal subjects were studied twice while in balance on a diet containing 10 mmol of sodium/day, 100 mmol of potassium/day: with indomethacin administration (50 mg given every 6 h for five doses) and without indomethacin. Urinary prostaglandin E excretion was measured hourly and plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone concentration at 30 min intervals.
3. Immersion was associated with a marked suppression of plasma renin activity (59 ± 7%) and plasma aldosterone concentration (55 ± 3%) with a return to pre-study values during the recovery hour. Concomitantly, urinary prostaglandin E excretion increased from 4.7 to a peak of 10.9 ng/min. Although administration of indomethacin lowered the basal rate of urinary prostaglandin E excretion and plasma renin activity, it did not prevent the subsequent augmentation of urinary prostaglandin E or the suppression of plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone during the subsequent 4 h of immersion.
4. These results demonstrate a dissociation of renin-aldosterone and prostaglandin E during hypervolaemia and suggest that whereas prostaglandin E may constitute one of the major determinants of renin release clinically and experimentally, these two hormonal systems can be dissociated from each other in response to central volume expansion in man.
Effects of Indomethacin on Plasma Renin Activity, Plasma Aldosterone Concentration, Urinary Prostaglandin E Excretion and Blood Pressure in Patients with Essential Hypertension
