Kidney denervation combined with elimination of adrenal-renal portal circulation prevents the development of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats

1. Kidney denervation in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SKR) during the p rehypertensive stage delays and attenuates the development of hypertension. The same results have been obtained after elimination of the adrenal-renal portal circulation (ARPC), The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of concomitant kidney denervation and elimination of ARPC on hypertension in SHR. 2. Experiments were performed on 6-week-old male SHR and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. In the first group of animals (group I), the ARPC was eliminated by removing the left adrenal gland and the right kidney. In the second group o f rats (group II), the right kidney and the right adrenal gland were remove d and the left kidney was denervated. In the third group of rats (group III ), the right adrenal gland and the left kidney were removed and the right k idney was denervated. In the fourth group of rats (group IV), the right adr enal gland and the right kidney were removed. Group IV served as the contro l group. Denervations were repeated every 3 weeks. Systolic blood pressure was measured indirectly. 3. Elimination of ARPC (group I) and kidney denervation (group II) delayed and attenuated hypertension to the same degree (163+/-5 and 157+/-4 mmHg, r espectively). Application of the these two methods concomitantly (group III ) prevented the development of hypertension (130+/-6 mmHg). 4. We conclude that both intact efferent sympathetic renal nerves and adren al hormones reaching the kidney through the ARPC may be mandatory factors f or the development of arterial hypertension in SHR.