Does vasopressin play a role in the pathogenesis of hypertension?

Abstract

1. Plasma levels of vasopressin were found to be significantly higher in 29 patients with malignant hypertension than in 106 normotensive control subjects (13 ± 2 ng/l vs 5.8 ± 0.2 ng/l, P < 0.001). 2. No correlation was apparent between blood pressure and circulating vasopressin. 3. An acute, incremental infusion of vasopressin (0.125, 0.25 and 0.5 ng min−1 kg−1) in nine patients with mild-moderate essential hypertension produced only minor changes in blood pressure despite achieving plasma levels spanning those seen in malignant hypertension. 4. Despite a small increase in pressor sensitivity to vasopressin in hypertensive subjects it is thus unlikely that an acute vasoconstrictor effect of this peptide is important in the pathogenesis of malignant hypertension.