Release of Active and Inactive Renin by the Human Kidney

1. Active and inactive renin were assayed in plasma of the renal veins and the inferior vena cava below the kidney in eight patients with hypertension and unilateral renal abnormalities, 20 min after the patients had resumed the upright position.

2. The concentration of active renin on the affected side was significantly higher than that on the non-affected side. The concentration of inactive renin on the affected side was significantly lower than that on the non-affected side and in the inferior vena cava.

3. These findings suggest either that the affected kidney mainly secretes active renin, which is then converted into inactive renin in the extrarenal circulation, or that the affected kidney activates inactive renin.