Tissue angiotensin generation depends on the uptake of circulating (kidney-derived) renin and/or its precursor prorenin [together denoted as (pro)renin]. Since tissue renin levels are usually somewhat higher than expected based upon the amount of (renin-containing) blood in tissue, an active uptake mechanism has been proposed. Several candidates have been evaluated in the past three decades, in...

Several experimental procedures produce dramatic alterations in kidney renin production, leading to increased plasma renin levels with attendant hypertension in animal model systems. The pattern of changes for kidney renin messenger RNA (mRNA) levels relative to changes for tissue and plasma renin activity was studied in Sprague-Dawley rats made hypertensive by either coarctation of the aorta b...

In addition to the traditional renin-angiotensin system, a great deal of evidence favors the existence of numerous independent tissue-specific renin-angiotensin systems. We report that mast cells are an additional source of renin and constitute a unique extrarenal renin-angiotensin system. We use renin-specific antibodies to demonstrate that cardiac mast cells contain renin. Extending this obse...

Renin belongs to a family of aspartyl proteases and is the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of the potent vasoactive peptide angiotensin II. Processing of renal renin has been extensively investigated in juxtaglomerular granular cells, in which prorenin and active renin are present in secretory condensed granules. Previous studies demonstrated alternative renin transcription in rat adrenal...

We isolated renin granules from cadaver kidneys using discontinuous sucrose density gradient centrifugation, and investigated the storage form of the renin from these granules. Approximately 23% of the total renin activity in the original homogenate was obtained from the surface phase between 1.6 and 1.7 M sucrose (Fraction 6). Granule renin extracted from the granules in Fraction 6 was separat...

BACKGROUND Measurement of plasma renin is important for the clinical assessment of hypertensive patients. The most common methods for measuring plasma renin are the plasma renin activity (PRA) assay and the renin immunoassay. The clinical application of renin inhibitor therapy has thrown into focus the differences in information provided by activity assays and immunoassays for renin and proreni...

Renin activities were measured in plasma from an artery and from the hepatic, portal, and renal veins of anesthetized dogs. A significant arterialhepatic venous renin difference was observed during control periods and after elevation of arterial renin by stimulation of endogenous renin secretion (induced by acute salt depletion) or by infusion of exogenous renin. There was good quantitative agr...

Spontaneously hypertensive Okamoto-strain rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were actively immunized with mouse renin to investigate the effect on blood pressure of blocking the renin-angiotensinogen reaction. Ten male SHR and 10 male WKY rats were immunized with purified mouse submandibular gland renin. Control rats were immunized with bovine serum albumin. Antirenin antibodie...

To determine whether expression of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is influenced by the degree of renal ablation, male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent uninephrectomy, 1 1/3 nephrectomy, or sham operation. Renin and angiotensinogen messenger RNA (mRNA) were not different among the three groups 2 weeks after surgery. The time course of expression of renin mRNA after 1 1/3 nephrectomy showed no d...

A soluble (pro)renin receptor (sPRR) circulates in plasma and is able to bind renin and prorenin. It is not known whether plasma sPRR concentrations vary with the activity of the renin-angiotensin system. We measured plasma sPRR, renin, prorenin, and aldosterone concentrations in 121 white and 9 black healthy subjects, 40 patients with diabetes mellitus, 41 hypertensive patients with or without...