Effects of renal denervation on postprandial sodium excretion in experimental heart failure

The hormonal, hemodynamic and renal excretory changes after an oral load of sodium were examined in renal-denervated dogs with an arteriovenous (AV) fistula and the syndrome of compensated high-output heart failure. After ingestion of a meal containing 125 meq of sodium, the total postprandial urinary sodium excretion and fractional sodium excretion were approximately twofold higher in the renal-denervated AV fistula dogs, compared with a control group with intact renal nerves (P < 0.05). The postprandial elevations in right atrial pressure, plasma atrial natriuretic factor, and filtered load of sodium were similar in the two groups (P > 0.05). Mean arterial pressure and plasma renin activity remained unchanged from baseline in the two subsets of animals (P > 0.05). In the renal-denervated AV fistula dogs, ingestion of a low-salt meal containing 2-3 meq of sodium produced elevations in creatinine clearance and filtered load of sodium of similar magnitude to the high-salt meal. However, the increases in sodium excretion and plasma atrial natriuretic factor were modest and inconsistent. These results demonstrate that the renal nerves play an important modulatory role for postprandial sodium metabolism after a high-salt meal in experimental compensated high-output heart failure. It is suggested that the renal nerves attenuate the expression of postprandial natriuretic mechanisms via a direct tubular mechanism of action.