Renal denervation enhances the phosphaturic effect of parathyroid hormone

Hyperventilation/hypocapnia increases renal phosphate reabsorption and decreases the phosphaturic effect of parathyroid hormone (PTH). Recent studies suggest that the blunted phosphaturic effect of PTH in hyperventilated/hypocapnic rats may be mediated by the stimulation of renal beta-adrenoreceptors. In the present study, no differences in plasma catecholamine levels were detected in hyperventilated/hypocapnic rats as compared to hyperventilated/normocapnic rats. Therefore, studies were performed to determine the role of the renal nerves in the blunted phosphaturic effect of PTH in hyperventilated/hypocapnic rats. In clearance experiments in acutely thyroparathyroidectomized male Sprague-Dawley rats, PTH infusion increased the fractional excretion of phosphate (FEPi) in the denervated left kidney of hyperventilated/hypocapnic rats (n = 8), from 2.4 +/- 1.1 to 18.6 +/- 2.7%, as compared to 1.0 +/- 0.3 to 9.1 +/- 2.1% in the contralateral innervated kidney. Denervation of the left kidney in hyperventilated/normocapnic rats (n = 8) also significantly increased the phosphaturic response to PTH by 2.5 +/- 1.5 to 26.9 +/- 3.0% as compared to 0.9 +/- 0.5 to 18.6 +/- 2.6% in the contralateral innervated kidney. The phosphaturic responses to PTH were similar when comparing the denervated kidney in hyperventilated/hypocapnic rats with the innervated kidney of hyperventilated/normocapnic rats. Thus, renal denervation enhanced the phosphaturic effect of PTH in both hyperventilated/hypocapnic and hyperventilated/normocapnic rats. These results suggest that renal nerves play a role in the modulation of the phosphaturic effect of PTH.