Converting-enzyme activity and pressor responses to angiotensin I and II in the rat awake and during anesthesia

Plasma renin activity (rate of angiotensin I generation) does not increase during anesthesia with ketamine, fluroxene, halothane or enflurane in the sodium-repleted rat. However, blood pressure decreases when an angiotensin II antagonist, saralasin, is administered during halothane or enflurane anesthesia, but not during ketamine or fluroxene anesthesia. Differences in the rates of conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II induced by various anesthetic agents could help explain these previous findings. To determine the effects of anesthetic agents on angiotensin I conversion, experiments were performed in vitro and in vivo. The activities of rabbit pulmonary converting enzyme in the presence and absence of halothane or fluroxene were measured as rates of appearance of the dipeptide, histidyl-leucine, a product of angiotensin I hydrolysis to angiotensin II. Halothane and fluroxene did not alter conversion. Infusions of angiotensin I and angiotensin II were given to Wistar rats to construct dose-blood pressure response curves. The animals were then anesthetized with ketamine or halothane and infusions were repeated. Angiotensin I and angiotensin II induced similar blood pressure responses in awake and anesthetized rats. However, ketamine accentuated the pressor responses to angiotensin I and angiotensin II, whereas halothane depressed the responses. With the anesthetic agents studied, there is no significant effect on conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II either in vitro or in vivo.