This volume presents the proceedings of the Symposium on "Hypertension . Mechanisms and Management" held at the "Akademie der Wissenschaften" in Mainz on the 1st and 2nd October, 1979. The Symposion has been dedicated to Professor Hanns-Peter Wolff, who has been the Chairman of the First De partment ofIntemal Medicine at the University of Mainz since 1968, on the occasion of his 65th birthday. The conference was mainly devoted to pathophysiological aspects of high blood pressure. A first series of papers discussed the possible role of the sympathetic nervous system in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension. Despite consider able methodological progress made in the measurement of circulating catechol amines it is still unclear whether catecholamines are raised in essential hyper tension, and if so, whether this is important for the pathogenesis of high blood pressure. Practically all papers of the first session were related to this question. For several decades the renin-angiotensin system has been the central topic of any hypertension meeting. We thought that additional lectures or papers on this subject might fail to provide new aspects. We therefore asked five experts who have been working in this field for many years to discuss in a Round Table whether or not the renin-angiotensin system might playa significant role in human hypertension. A further topic were the renal tissue hormones other than renin-angiotensin. The papers discussed in particular kallikrein and its possible role in activating renin and thereby possibly contributing to high blood pressure.

Sympathetic Nervous System and Hypertension

Circulatory Neurohormones in Primary Hypertension: Probes in Etiology and Treatment
Plasma Catecholamine Levels and the Renin-Angiotensin-System in Subjects with Borderline Hypertension
Sympathetic Nervous Activity, Noradrenaline Reactivity, and Blood Pressure Control
Cardiovascular Pressor Reactivity as Related to Plasma Catecholamines: Role in the Pathogenesis of Essential Hypertension and in the Antihypertensive Mechanism of Diuretic Treatment
Blunting of Beta-Adrenoceptor-Mediated Cardiovascular Responses and Increasing Alpha-Receptor-Mediated Vasoconstriction: An Age-Dependent Transformation of Essential Hypertension
Patterns of Noradrenaline and Renin in Essential Hypertension - Effects of Stress and Therapy
Catecholamines, Isometric Exercise and Left Ventricular Function
Plasma Noradrenaline as an Index of Sympathetic Activity
Free Communications
The Central Peptidergic Stimulation Syndrome: A Role for Brain Peptides in Central Mechanisms of Blood Pressure Regulation
Glandular Adenylate Cyclase System in Genetic Hypertension - Age-Dependent Response to Catecholamines
Effects of Somatostatin on Pressor Responsiveness to Angiotensin and Catecholamines in Essential Hypertension
Acute Effects of Labetalol on Haemodynamics and Response to Emotional Stress in Hypertensive Patients
Round Table Discussion: Does the Renin-Angiotensin System Play a Significant Role in Human Hypertension?
Renal Hormones
Renal Vasodepressor Hormones: The Kallikrein-Kinin and Prostaglandin Systems
Plasma Kallikrein as an Activator of Inactive Renin ("Prorenin") - Studies In-Vitro and In-Vivo
Urinary Kallikrein Activity in Rats with Renovascular Hypertension
Enhanced Parotid Kallikrein Secretion inEssential, Adrenal Hypertension and in Advanced Renal Failure - Inverse Relationship to Sodium Excretion
Identification of Angiotensin II- and Kinin-Dependent Mechanisms in Essential Hypertension
Free Communications
Interactions Between Angiotensin II and ACTH on the Human Adrenal Gland
Disturbed Regulation of Aldosterone and Sodium Excretion in a Subgroup of Essential Hypertensives
Studies on the Influence of Salt and Water Balance and Blood Pressure Regulation in Hypertensive Patients
Hypertension and Public Health
An Overview of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program in the United States
Campaigns Against High Blood Pressure in Switzerland and the National Research Program 1 "Methodology of Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases"
Rundtisch-Gespräch: Möglichkeiten der Hypertonieintervention in Deutschland.