Renin-expressing cells are peculiar in that they act as differentiated cells, producing the hormone renin, while they also seem to act as progenitors for other renal cell types. As such, they may have functions independent of their ability to generate renin/angiotensin. To test this hypothesis, we ablated renin-expressing cells during development by placing diphtheria toxin A chain (DTA) under ...

The aspartyl protease renin catalyzes the initial and rate-limiting step in the formation of the biologically active peptide angiotensin II. It is mainly synthesized in the kidney as a preprohormone and secreted via constitutive and regulated pathways. We identified a novel transcript of the rat renin gene, renin b, characterized by the presence of an alternative first exon (exon 1b) that is sp...

To investigate whether newborn kidney microvessels and isolated single microvascular cells have the capacity to release renin and/or alter the expression of the renin gene in response to adenylate cyclase stimulation, newborn kidney microvessels were isolated and purified (95%) using an iron perfusion/enzymatic digestion technique. Incubation of microvessels with either vehicle (control; C) or ...

Deletion of the gap-junction-forming protein connexin40 leads to renin-dependent hypertension in mice, but whether observed human variants in connexin40, such as A96S, promote hypertension is unknown. Here, we generated mice with the A96S variant in the mouse connexin40 gene. Although mice homozygous for the A96S mutations had normal expression patterns of connexin40 in the kidney, they were hy...

Renin distal enhancer plays a pivotal role in renin gene expression, and the genetic variants C-5312T of renin enhancer can affect renin gene transcription level. However, the mechanism associated with the transcription level changes remains unknown. Therefore, it is of interest to investigate the possible role of distal enhancer in regulating the expression of renin gene. Single nucleotide pol...

We previously reported that mast cells express renin, the rate-limiting enzyme in the renin-angiotensin cascade. We have now assessed whether mast cell renin release triggers angiotensin formation in the airway. In isolated rat bronchial rings, mast cell degranulation released enzyme with angiotensin I-forming activity blocked by the selective renin inhibitor BILA2157. Local generation of angio...

IgA Vasculitis (IgAV) is the most common form of vasculitis in children, and 1–2% patients develop chronic kidney disease. In other forms glomerulonephritis, there strong evidence to support role renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS); however, data are lacking IgAV nephritis. This study evaluated urinary RAAS components children with vasculitis, both nephritis (IgAVN) without (IgAVwoN). U...

Renin in extracts of frozen rabbit kidney exists in two forms: active (molecular weight about 37,000) and inactive (molecular weight about 55,000) renin. The inactive form becomes active after exposure to pH 2.5 at 4 degrees C. If extracts are chromatographed on DEAE cellulose, the inactive renin dissociates into active renin plus a renin inhibitor (molecular weight about 13,000). The inhibitor...

1. Haemodynamic and renin responses to dynamic exercise before and after intravenous beta-adrenoreceptor blockade with propranolol were compared in twenty-one patients with essential hypertension and either high (n = 7), normal (n = 7) or low plasma renin activity (n = 7). 2. Renin and heart-rate responses to exercise and beta-receptor blockade diminished from high-renin to normal and to low-re...

Increasing biochemical evidence suggests that the renin-angiotensin system may be present in may extrarenal tissues. We have employed the mouse submandibular gland renin complementary DNA (pDD-1D2) and the rat liver angiotensinogen complementary DNA (pRang 3) to demonstrate that renin and angiotensinogen messenger RNAs are expressed in the mouse kidney, submandibular gland, heart, adrenal, brai...