THE BLOOD PRESSURE REDUCING PROPERTY OF EXTRACTS OF KIDNEYS IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS AND ANIMALS

Abstract

Reduction of arterial pressure is observed during the parenteral adm. of renal extracts in dogs and rats with exptl. renal hypertension and in human beings with essential and malignant hypertension. In dogs, the extracts have variable effects upon the level of blood urea N, while they cause recession of the signs of the syndrome of malignant hypertension. Apart from the decrease of arterial pressure, adm. of extracts in human beings causes some improvement of cardiac function, dramatic improvement of retinal damage in malignant hypertension, but no characteristic changes of urea clearance nor of maximum ability to concentrate urine. The progressive anemia associated with malignant hypertension is usually checked. Two types of immediate untoward reactions to the extracts are described which are believed to be due to sensitivity to the proteins of the extracts. There does not appear to be any direct relationship between the occurrence of reactions and the prolonged fall of blood pressure. The yields of active material are low and the difficulty with reactions has only partly been overcome.