Short- and Long-term Effects of Potassium on Renin-Aldosterone System in Hypertensive Rats Fed with Different Amounts of Sodium

To evaluate the acute and chronic effects of potassium on aldosterone response to different amounts of sodium intake, two series of experiments were conducted. In the first series of experiments, when the plasma K level was increased acutely by KCI infusion $(20\;{\mu}g/kg/min\;for\;20 min)$, plasma aldosterone concentration increased in both low Na and high Na groups. However, the aldosterone response to K infusion was significantly greater in the low Na than in the high Na groups. In the second series of experiments, rats fed a high K diet chronically showed a significantly higher plasma K level than those fed a low K diet. However, plasma Na level was maintained relatively constant independent of the Na intake. Both the plasma renin activity (PRA) and aldosterone levels were inversely related to the Na intake. There was a highly positive correlation between aldosterone level and PRA over a wide range of sodium intakes. However, the slope of the correlation line was distinctly steeper in the K-repleted than in the K-depleted rats. The above results indicate that the adrenotropic action of acute K load was augmented in the presence of high plasma renin levels. However, when plasna K level was elevated chronically by a high-K diet, aldosterone secretion was markedly stimulated, although the plasma lenin levels were suppressed.