Differential role of afferent and efferent renal nerves in the maintenance of early- and late-phase Dahl S hypertension

• DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00408.2015
• Publication Date: 2015-12-09T21:55:02Z
• Authors: Jason D. Foss; Gregory D. Fink; John W. Osborn
• Keywords: Male; Afferent Pathways; Rats, Inbred Dahl; Time Factors; Kidney; Efferent Pathways; Disease Models, Animal; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Hypertension; Autonomic Denervation; Animals; Arterial Pressure; Sodium Chloride, Dietary

Clinical data suggest that renal denervation (RDNX) may be an effective treatment for human hypertension; however, it is unclear whether this therapeutic effect is due to ablation of afferent or efferent renal nerves. We have previously shown that RDNX lowers arterial pressure in hypertensive Dahl salt-sensitive (S) rats to a similar degree observed in clinical trials. In addition, we have recently developed a method for selective ablation of afferent renal nerves (renal-CAP). In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the antihypertensive effect of RDNX in the Dahl S rat is due to ablation of afferent renal nerves by comparing the effect of complete RDNX to renal-CAP during two phases of hypertension in the Dahl S rat. In the early phase, rats underwent treatment after 3 wk of high-NaCl feeding when mean arterial pressure (MAP) was ∼140 mmHg. In the late phase, rats underwent treatment after 9 wk of high NaCl feeding, when MAP was ∼170 mmHg. RDNX reduced MAP ∼10 mmHg compared with sham surgery in both the early and late phase, whereas renal-CAP had no antihypertensive effect. These results suggest that, in the Dahl S rat, the antihypertensive effect of RDNX is not dependent on pretreatment arterial pressure, nor is it due to ablation of afferent renal nerves.