Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System and Adrenekgic System in Normotensive and Hypertensive Pregnancy

Abstract

We have measured simultaneously plasma renin activity (PRA), aldosterone and catecholamines in the plasma of 3 groups of pregnant women after the 20th week:group 1 of 16 normotensive controls, group II of 17 women with rest responding hypertension (RRH), group III of 18 women with permanent hypertension (PIH). All the patientswere ambulatory on a normal salt diet. PRA was significantly higher in the RRH than in the control and PIH groups (15, 8–2, 3ng/ml/1 versus 6, 7±0, 5 and 8, 9±0, 9 respectively). Plasma epinephrine (PE) and norepinephrine (PNE) were significantly higher in the PIH than in the control and RRH groups (jespectively 135–28 pg/ml versus 56±13 and 63±17 for PE and 387±91 versus 206±32 and 200±47 pg/ml for PNE). In the PIH group there was a negative correlation between PEA and blood uric acid. It is concluded that the adrenic system is activated in PIH whereas the renin angiotensin system is activated in RRH of pregnancy.