Effect of renal denervation on the development of hypertension in Dahl-Iwai salt-sensitive rats.

Renal denervation has been shown to delay the onset of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats and DOCA-salt sensitive rats. We investigated the contribution of the renal nerves to the development of hypertension in Dahl-Iwai salt-sensitive (DS) rats. Bilateral renal denervation or sham-operation was carried out in DS rats, and animals were then kept on a high salt diet (study I) or on a normal salt diet (study II). DS rats became severely hypertensive (207 +/- 8 mmHg) after 4 weeks on a high salt diet. They became mildly hypertensive (156 +/- 3 mmHg) after 4 weeks on a normal salt diet. In both studies, renal denervation exerted no effect on the development of hypertension in the DS rats. The urinary sodium excretion, urinary volume, heart rate and body weight were unaltered by renal denervation. These results indicate that the renal nerves do not make a major contribution to the development of hypertension in DS rats.