Changes in plasma renin substrate, plasma and renal renin, and plasma osmolarity during glycerol-induced acute renal failure in rabbits.
Seven groups of rabbits were studied before or at various intervals after the subcutaneous administration of 50 percent glycerol in isotonic saline (14 ml/kg). A sharp increase in plasma crystalloid osmolarity, due to glycerol reabsorption from the subcutaneous tissue, was detected at 1.5 and 6 hours and was maximal between 12 and 20 hours. Plasma renin activity did not change at 1.5 hours, but it was significantly elevated at 6 hours and maximally increased between 12 and 20 hours. The increase of plasma crystalloid osmolarity might contribute to renin release in this experimental model. Changes in renal renin levels after the administration of glycerol were not significant, although lower renal renin values were consistently found in rabbits with more severe impairment of renal function. Plasma renin substrate increased later than plasma renin activity (20 hours) and remained high after plasma renin activity had returned to normal (48 hours). The increase of plasma renin substrate was interpreted as mainly due to the impairment of renal function, since a positive correlation was found between plasma creatinine and plasma renin substrate.