Effects of heparin treatments in vivo and in vitro on adrenal angiotensin II receptors and angiotensin II-induced aldosterone production in rats.

To evaluate the heparin effects in vivo and in vitro on adrenal angiotensin II receptors and angiotensin II-induced aldosterone production, we examined the angiotensin II binding and the maximum angiotensin II-induced aldosterone production using adrenal glomerulosa cells from rats treated with a heparin preparation containing benzyl alcohol (1500 IU/kg, twice daily for 6 weeks) or cells to which heparin (300 IU/l) was directly added. Comparison was made using the cells from rats treated with vehicle or the cells to which vehicle was directly added. Specific binding of [125I]iodo-angiotensin II was decreased in the cells from heparin-treated rats or in the heparin-treated cells. Scatchard analysis showed that the decrease in binding was due to a decrease in both the number and the affinity of angiotensin II receptors in the cells from heparin-treated rats and a decrease in the number, but not the affinity, of the receptors in the heparin-treated cells. Heparin also caused a decrease in the maximum angiotensin II-induced production, but not the basal production, of aldosterone in the cells from heparin-treated rats and in the heparin-treated cells. These data suggest that heparin interacts with adrenal angiotensin II receptors to inhibit the angiotensin II-induced aldosterone production.