DISAPPEARANCE OF ENDOGENOUS RENIN FROM THE CIRCULATION AFTER NEPHRECTOMY IN PREVIOUSLY HEPATECTOMIZED OR COLONECTOMIZED DOGS

Abstract

SUMMARY The changes in plasma renin concentration (PRC) were studied in dogs after hepatectomy and bilateral nephrectomy, and after colonectomy and bilateral nephrectomy in a control group of animals. In the colonectomized dogs the PRC averaged 9·4 ± 4·2 units/l at the moment of the removal of the second kidney (time zero) and decreased to 44% of this value in the sample withdrawn 15 min later, and to 20·6% after 1 h. In the hepatectomized dogs the PRC averaged 44·3 ± 29·2 units/l at time zero and decreased to 70·6% of this value within 15 min, and to 30·3% after 1 h. The results showed that the dogs without a liver were still able to remove renin from the circulation, suggesting that other mechanisms of renin clearance were operative.