Effect of Nephrectomy and a Low Sodium Diet on the Increase in Plasma Renin Levels Produced by Hemorrhage ∗

Summary

In pentobarbital-anesthetized normal dogs previously fed a diet providing approximately 40 mEq of sodium per day, hemorrhage caused an increase in circulating renin levels. The values continued to rise 30 and 60 min after hemorrhage when blood pressure was returning toward normal. Plasma renin levels were very low 4 hours after bilateral nephrectomy and they failed to rise following hemorrhage in the nephrectomized dogs. Dogs fed a low sodium diet for 14 days had higher prehemorrhage renin values and a much greater increase in plasma renin following hemorrhage than the animals fed 40 mEq of sodium per day.