Effects of verapamil on renin and aldosterone in the dog and rat.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of calcium channel blockade on renin secretion and plasma aldosterone. Verapamil infusion (0.004 mg X kg-1 X min-1) into the renal artery of uninephrectomized dogs with an intact kidney resulted in significant increases (P less than 0.05) in renal blood flow, creatinine clearance, and the excreted fractions of Na+ and Cl-; renin secretion decreased (P less than 0.05) and plasma aldosterone did not change. Conversely, renal arterial infusion of verapamil in dogs with nonfiltering, denervated, papaverine-treated kidneys resulted in no change in renal blood flow and a significant increase (P less than 0.05) in renin secretion. In the rat, compared with untreated control animals, dietary verapamil (12.5 mg X kg-1 X day-1) did not effect plasma renin activity but significantly suppressed plasma aldosterone (P less than 0.001) in animals on NaCl-restricted [14.7 +/- 5.4 vs. 41.6 +/- 7.8 ng/dl (SE)] and NaCl-free [103.7 +/- 7.5 vs. 156.7 +/- 18.7 ng/dl (SE)] diets. In addition, verapamil suppressed (P less than 0.0003) plasma corticosterone [16.1 +/- 5.4 vs. 52.8 +/- 7.1 microgram/dl (SE)]. Thus, acute but not chronic verapamil administration stimulates renin release in the nonfiltering kidney, and chronic verapamil inhibits adrenal mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid secretion. The disparate effects of verapamil on renin secretion from intact and nonfiltering kidneys may be due to actions of the Ca2+ channel blocker on renal hemodynamic and/or renal tubular mechanisms in the intact kidney that mask a direct effect of verapamil on renin-secreting cells.