STUDIES ON EXPERIMENTAL HYPERTENSION : II. THE EFFECT OF RESECTION OF SPLANCHNIC NERVES ON EXPERIMENTAL RENAL...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Nephrology
• Surgical Research

Background:

• Renal ischemia is a known cause of experimental hypertension in dogs.
• The role of the sympathetic nervous system, specifically the splanchnic nerves and dorsal ganglia, in hypertension pathogenesis is under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of excising thoracic splanchnic nerves and lower dorsal sympathetic ganglia in preventing or treating experimental renal hypertension in dogs.
• To assess the contribution of the splanchnic vasomotor mechanism to the development and maintenance of renal hypertension.

Main Methods:

• Induction of renal ischemia in dogs via partial clamping of renal arteries.
• Excision of the thoracic splanchnic nerves and the lower four dorsal sympathetic ganglia bilaterally.
• Monitoring of blood pressure in dogs with experimentally induced hypertension over extended periods (up to 4 years).

Main Results:

• Surgical intervention failed to prevent the development of persistent hypertension following renal ischemia.
• Excision of splanchnic nerves and sympathetic ganglia did not result in any significant or permanent reduction in blood pressure.
• Results suggest a minimized role for the splanchnic vasomotor mechanism in canine renal hypertension.

Conclusions:

• The study's findings do not support the surgical procedure in managing canine renal hypertension.
• Results align with previous research questioning the significance of the vasomotor system in human hypertension.
• Further investigation is required to determine the clinical applicability and efficacy of this surgical approach in human hypertension.