[DES-ASP1] angiotensin II in the sheep: Blood levels and its effect on plasma renin concentration

The present study describes an improved method for measuring angiotensin III in arterial blood. This was accomplished by SE-sephadex column to separate angiotensin II from angiotensin III prior to radioimmunoassay. The arterial concentration of angiotensin III measured before and after 24 to 48 hours sodium depletion by acute cannulation of parotid gland was 12.4 ± 1.7 fmol/ml (SEM, n=7) and 49.8 ± 10.3 fmol/ml (SEM, n=7) respectively. The arterial concentration of Val⁴-angiotensin III obtained from continuous infusion of Val⁴-angiotensin III at rates of 24 and 48 nmol/h in sodium deficient sheep were 245 ± 32.5 fmol/ml (n=6) and 330 ± 11.4 fmol/ ml (n=7) respectively. The clearance rate of exogenous Val⁴-angiotensin III in sodium deficient sheep after correction for endogenous level was calculated to be 140 ± 13.6 L/h (SEM, n=13). This was in the same order as Ile⁵-angiotensin II and Ile⁴-angiotensin III reported earlier in sodium replete sheep. Prolonged intravenous infusion of Val⁴-angiotensin III at a rate of 48 nmol/h in sodium- deficient sheep suppressed plasma renin concentration to the same extent as equimolar infusions of angiotensin II. This suggests that angiotensin III may inhibit renin secretion by a similar mechanism to angiotensin II.