Effect of renal denervation on the development of cellophane-wrap hypertension in rabbits

The development of hypertension in rabbits with bilateral cellophane wrapping of the kidneys was studied in animals with and without surgical denervation of the kidneys. Mean arterial pressure was measured before and 14 and 28 days after surgery. After 14 and 28 days of wrapping, mean arterial pressure had increased 12 +/- 3 mmHg and 31 +/- 3 mmHg in rabbits with innervated kidneys and 7 +/- 2 mmHg and 26 +/- 2 mmHg in rabbits with denervated kidneys, respectively. The increases in arterial pressure were significantly less in the denervated animals. In sham wrap animals, renal denervation also resulted in significantly lower arterial pressure than in sham wrap+sham denervated rabbits. Noradrenaline concentration of denervated kidneys averaged only 4% of that measured in kidneys subjected to sham denervation. The results show that renal denervation slightly attenuated the degree of hypertension developed following renal wrapping. Since renal denervation produced a similar small decrease in arterial pressure in normotensive rabbits it is suggested that the effect is non-specific and probably due to loss of efferent renal sympathetic nerves.