Reexamination of the Effect of Urinary Kallikrein Renin Release: Evidence that Kallikrein Does Not Release Renin but Protects Renin from Destruction

Previously, we showed that superfusion of rat kidney slices by rat urinary kallikrein stimulated renin release. The resin measurements were performed on superfusion samples which we stored frozen at -20 C for 24 h. In this study we investigated the effect of freezing on the renin concentration of superfusion samples in the control period. The renin concentration measured immediately without freezing was 9.8 +/- 2.4 ng angiotensin I/10 ml . 3 h/mg tissue, while the concentration in the samples frozen for 24 h was 2.9 +/- 1.0 ng angiotensin I/10 ml . 3 h/mg. The renin concentration of the superfusion samples during the kallikrein perfusion period was the same as that of the nonfrozen control samples. It appeared, therefore, that kallikrein acted as if it stimulated renin release from kidney slices, when the renin was measured in frozen samples. To clarify this phenomenon, we added kallikrein, inactivated kallikrein, and albumin to superfusion samples of the control period and froze the samples for 24 h. After freezing, the renin concentration of the control samples decreased to about 20% of that of nonfrozen samples, except in those samples to which the various proteins were added. In these samples, the loss of renin activity was prevented. The addition of Trasylol, a specific inhibitor of kallikrein, blocked the protective effect of both kallikrein and albumin. These data suggest that the renin released into the superfusion media of kidney slices is destroyed by freezing and that kallikrein or BSA prevents this destruction. These data negate previous data indicating that kallikrein stimulates renin release.