Renal nerves in compensatory renal response to contralateral renal denervation

Acute unilateral renal denervation and the resultant antidiuresis and antinatriuresis are accompanied by a compensatory antidiuresis and antinatriuresis from the opposite kidney. The present study tested the hypothesis that the renal sympathetic nerves mediated this adaptive response. In the volume-expanded rat, acute left renal denervation increased left kidney fractional sodium excretion from 4.4 +/- 0.6 to 5.9 +/- 0.6%, while right kidney fractional sodium excretion decreased from 4.3 +/- 0.6 to 3.5 +/- 0.5%. Subsequent acute right renal denervation increased right kidney fractional sodium excretion from 3.5 +/- 0.5 to 4.7 +/- 0.6%. Measurement of efferent left renal sympathetic nerve activity before and after acute right renal denervation showed an increase from 10.9 +/- 0.8 to 16.0 +/- 1.4 Hz. When both kidneys were simultaneously subjected to acute renal denervation, fractional excretion of sodium increased bilaterally. In uninephrectomized rats subjected to acute denervation of the remaining kidney, fractional excretion of sodium increased. Glomerular filtration rate was unchanged throughout in all studies. These results demonstrate that the compensatory renal response to acute contralateral renal denervation is mediated by the efferent renal sympathetic nerves.