Effects of adrenaline, noradrenaline, isoprenaline and salbutamol on the production and release of renin by isolated renal cortical cells of the cat.

1 Isolated renal cortical cells of the cat have been demonstrated to produce renin on incubation in vitro. After 2 h of incubation, without added agonist, the total amount of renin in the flask increased by a mean of 27.2 percent. The increase in renin content of the incubation flask was found to be present in the medium. 2 Noradrenaline (1.18 times 10-minus 4M) and adrenaline (1.09 times 10-minus 4M) added to the incubation medium stimulated renin production by 45 and 34% respectively, compared with the incubated controls. Most of the increase in renin production was present in the incubation medium. 3 Isoprenaline did not stimulate renin production. However, when added to the incubation medium at a concentration of 0.72 times 10-minus 4M there was a significant decrease in the cellular content and a significant increase in the medium content of renin. This increase was at least as great as that observed with adrenaline and noradrenaline. 4 Salbutamol had an effect similar to isoprenaline, i.e. it induced the release of renin into the medium without affecting production. In this respect it was about a third as potent as isoprenaline.