Cardiovascular reactivity and neurogenic tone in unilateral renovascular hypertension in the rat

The role of some mechanisms in the development of hypertension due to unilateral renal artery stenosis is influenced by the presence or absence of the intact opposite kidney. In this paper: a) the cardiovascular reactivity (CR) to norepinephrine (NE) and b) the effect of a ganglionic blocker (pentolinium, P) during the early (first two weeks) and later periods (ten weeks) of hypertension elicited by unilateral renal ischemia in the presence of the untouched contralateral kidney in the rat have been reported. Neither the threshold doses nor the dose-pressor response curves have shown a greater reactivity of the cardiovascular system to NE in this specific type of renovascular hypertension. An increase in the activity of the nervous system apparently contributes in early and late periods to the fuller development of high arterial pressure (AP).