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Two siblings are described with hypertension, hyperreninism, hyperaldosteronism and hypokalemia. Propranolol therapy lowered blood pressure markedly, but failed to normalize serum potassium. Indomethacin orally decreased blood pressure and normalized all biochemical abnormalities. We suggest that in these patients there exists a renin-dependent hypertension in combination with a state of hyperprostaglandinism. It is likely from our studies in these 2 patients, that the state of hyperprostaglandinism is secondary to a hypertension with increased sympathetic tone.

125Iothalamate and 131I-hippuran clearances, sodium excretion and plasma renin activity (PRA) before and during indomethacin administration in an oral dose of 3 x 50 mg/day were studied in volunteers with a normal or reduced kidney function, as well on non-sodium-restricted as on sodium-restricted diet. Indomethacin induced a temporary sodium and water retention and a decrease in glomerular filtration rate. It also lowered PRA. The latter phenomenon did not depend on sodium retention and was present within 2 h after an oral dose of 50 mg. The results may be explained by indomethacin-induced inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis.

Three patients with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis due to Wegener’s granulomatosis are described. In one patient, acute renal failure was initially the sole manifestation of the disease. Treat

We studied the frequency of restenosis and the effects of percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) on blood pressure (BP) and particularly on renal function in all patients in whom successful dilatation was performed. Restenosis was found in 42% of the patients with an atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis and in 22% of the patients with fibromuscular dysplasia. BP improvement was seen in 70-80% of the patients with unilateral stenosis or with successful bilateral dilatation (group I) whereas only seldom was an effect on BP observed in patients with more complicated disease, such as those with an occlusion of the contralateral artery (group II). Remarkably, however, both in group I and in group II, in about half of the patients an improvement in renal function was found, even 2-3 years after the procedure. Our results thus indicate that PTRA can be useful in preservation or even improvement of renal function, even if no effect on blood pressure can be expected.