Changes of vasoactive substances following embolization for renal cell carcinoma

Renal arterial embolization and subsequent nephrectomy or nephrectomy alone were performed in 34 patients with renal cell carcinoma. Renal arterial embolization caused a blood pressure elevation concomitant with an increase in plasma renin activity (PRA), urinary aldosterone excretion or urinary prostaglandin (PGE₂) excretion. Subsequent nephrectomy normalized hypertension and reduced the levels of these vasoactive substances. There were significant relationships between the increase in mean blood pressure and the increase in PRA, the increment in mean blood pressure and the increment in urinary aldosterone excretion, and the increase in PRA and increase in log urinary PGE₂ excretion following embolization. These evidences suggest that enhancement of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system participates in the development of hypertension following embolization, and increased PRA may play an important role in the release of urinary PGE₂.