Renal vein prostaglandins in renovascular hypertensive patients.

To investigate the role of intrarenal prostaglandins in the pathophysiology of renovascular hypertension, we measured bilateral renal vein prostaglandins (PGE2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha) and plasma renin activity (PRA) of nine patients with renovascular hypertension caused by fibromuscular dysplasia. Both PGE2 and PRA on the stenotic side were significantly higher than those on the non-stenotic side. The difference in 6-keto-PGF1 alpha levels between the stenotic and the non-stenotic sides was not significant. PGE2 ratio of the stenotic and the non-stenotic sides was significantly correlated with PRA ratio of the stenotic and contralateral sides. These results suggest that renal PGE2 plays an important role in the maintenance of renal blood flow through modulation against vasoconstriction in the renal vasculature and that renal PGE2 may be closely associated with renal renin secretion in the renovascular hypertension.