Hemodynamic determinants of perivascular collateral development in swine renal artery stenosis

Renal artery stenosis (RAS) resulting in reduced renal blood flow (RBF) is a common cause of secondary hypertension and deterioration of renal function, which may lead to end-stage renal disease. Recruitment and formation of periarterial collateral vessels may serve to bypass RAS and restore distal blood supply. We hypothesized that development of collaterals around RAS may preserve kidney function.

Collateral formation index (CI) was assessed using multidetector computed tomography as fractional vascular volume surrounding the stenosis in 31 pigs with unilateral RAS. Single kidney RBF and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were also measured.

Of 25 pigs that developed significant stenosis (≥65%), 8 demonstrated minor collateral development (CI < 0.3), and 17 showed major collateral development (CI ≥ 0.3). The degree of RAS was significantly higher in pigs with major collaterals compared with pigs with minor collaterals, and poststenotic kidney cortical volume, perfusion, RBF, and GFR were significantly lower. In a subset of pigs matched for the degree of RAS, RBF and GFR remained lower in pigs with major collaterals.

We conclude that collaterals develop in animals with significant RAS in proportion to its severity and might be triggered by distal injury, such as decreases in cortical volume and perfusion. However, development of collaterals was unable to confer measurable benefits for stenotic kidney function distal to severe RAS.