Effects of dietary K on blood pressure, prostaglandin, and kallikrein in renovascular hypertensive rats

The effects of dietary K (food and tap water both containing 1% KCl) on blood pressure and renal prostaglandin-kallikrein-kinin system were investigated in Wistar rats made hypertensive by constriction of left renal artery. Dietary K attenuated the development of hypertension and increased urine volume accompanied by increased excretion of K, but by uninfluenced excretion of Na. Dietary K also increased the urinary excretion of kallikrein, PGE2 and aldosterone in Goldblatt hypertensive rats. There was no significant difference in the values of plasma Na between the two groups with and without dietary K. These results suggest that dietary K may attenuate the development of hypertension, increase urine volume via the mechanism of enhancing production of renal PGE2 and kallikrein in hypertensive rats.