Renal and Hepatic Inactivation of Angiotensin in Rats: Influence of Sodium Balance and Renal Artery Compression

1. Rates of inactivation of asn¹val⁵ angiotensin II by isolated perfused rat liver and kidney have been investigated in a variety of experimental conditions.

2. The liver inactivates angiotensin at a rate independent of sodium balance.

3. Sodium loading reduces and sodium depletion enhances the capacity of the kidney to remove angiotensin.

4. In the presence of a silver clip on one renal artery with contralateral kidney intact, the clipped organ destroys angiotensin at a normal rate, and the capacity of the contralateral intact kidney to inactivate the peptide is reduced.

5. The kidney with its renal artery constricted by a silver clip, when the contralateral kidney has been removed, has a reduced ability to destroy angiotensin.