Possible relationship between salt metabolism and the angiotensin system

Abstract

The mechanisms by which the kidney can very rapidly alter its output of water and electrolyte under physiological and patho-logical conditions are imperfectly understood. In relation to hypertension interesting variations are the increased excretion of water and sodium, especially in relation to appropriate loading (Farnsworth and Barker 1943, Brodsky and Gratjbarth 1953, Cottier, Weller and Hoobler 1958, Sapirstein 1958) and the osmotic diuresis probably precipitated by emotion (Miles and de Wardener 1953). We are still in the descriptive phases of these phenomena, and the actions of vasopressin and the steroids are perhaps best understood but they do not, nevertheless, explain the best known differences from normal of the kidney in hypertension.