ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To define the role of the renal nerves of the contralateral kidney in the maintenance of two-kidney, one-clip (2K-1C) renovascular hypertension in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The contralateral kidney of 2K-1C rats was denervated 6 months after induction of hypertension and 4 weeks after nephrectomy of the clipped kidney. Blood pressure, sodium and potassium balance and eicosanoid excretion were measured. RESULTS: Denervation of the contralateral kidney induced normalization of blood pressure in post-Goldblatt hypertensive rats. This effect was not mediated by a negative sodium balance. Excretion of prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane B2 increased after denervation of the contralateral kidney in both post-Goldblatt hypertensive and post-Goldblatt normotensive rats, while urine extraction remained unaffected. CONCLUSION: Afferences from the contralateral kidney appear to participate in the maintenance of 2K-1C renovascular hypertension due to the activation of central mechanisms regulating blood pressure.
