Selective efferent chemical sympathectomy of rat kidneys

Surgical denervation of kidneys results in interruption of both afferent and efferent renal nerves. We attempted selective efferent renal denervation in rats by slow infusions of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the right renal artery. Integrity of efferent renal nerves was assessed by chemical and physiological methods and by measuring responses of mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) to intrarenal (ir) infusion of bradykinin in conscious rats. Results were compared with those in surgically denervated and ir saline-infused rats. Surgical denervation of left kidney reduced renal norepinephrine (NE) to 58 and 14% of control levels at 1 and 7 days, respectively, after surgery. Increase in left renal resistance during posterior hypothalamus (PH) stimulation was only 70 +/- 28% (n = 5) compared with 289 +/- 69% (n = 6) in control animals. Response in opposite kidney was unchanged. Although 0.1 mg 6-OHDA ir caused considerable reduction of NE levels in both kidneys, responses to PH stimulation were unchanged. 6-OHDA (1 mg) reduced NE levels in infused and control kidney and atria. Functional evidence for denervation was only obtained in the kidney infused with 6-OHDA. Responses of MAP and HR to ir bradykinin were unchanged 7 days after 1 mg 6-OHDA. The data suggest that ir 6-OHDA results in functional efferent sympathectomy without affecting afferent renal nerves.