Sub-Chronic Peroneal Nerve Stimulation Lowers Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Area of Science:

• Neuromodulation
• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Acute electrical stimulation of the common peroneal nerve (cPNS) reduces systolic blood pressure (SBP) in spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR).
• The sub-chronic effect of cPNS on ambulatory SBP in hypertension remains uninvestigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of a 5-week cPNS treatment using an implantable wireless neural stimulator for hypertension.
• To evaluate the impact of cPNS on sub-chronic ambulatory SBP in WKY and SHR models.

Main Methods:

• Development of an implantable wireless WNClip neural stimulator.
• Daily cPNS (2 Hz, monophasic, threshold intensity, 8 minutes) for five weeks.
• Ambulatory SBP and heart rate monitoring.

Main Results:

• A significant reduction in SBP was observed in SHR animals (-21 mmHg) by week 5.
• Ambulatory SBP showed a significant decrease from week 1 to week 5 (-9 mmHg).
• No significant changes in heart rate were detected during cPNS treatment.

Conclusions:

• Common peroneal nerve stimulation significantly reduces SBP, comparable to pharmacological treatments like Ramipril or renal denervation.
• Neuromodulation of the common peroneal nerve presents a promising alternative therapy for resistant hypertension.