Effect of Renal Denervation on Release and Content of Renin in Anesthetized Dogs

Sodium nitroprusside was infused into anesthetized dogs, of which one kidney had been denervated and the contralateral kidney had been left untouched or removed 6 to 28 days previously, and effect of reduction of arterial pressure on renin release from the denervated kidney was studied. Renin release was estimated by the difference of renin activity between renal venous and arterial plasma.In dogs with contralateral innervated kidney, there was no significant release of renin from the denervated kidney during reduction in pressure, while there was a marked and significant release from the contralateral intact kidney during the same periods; the difference in renin release between the both kidneys was highly significant. In sham-operated dogs of which both kidneys had been innervated, there was no significant difference in renin release between them. In contrast, in dogs with contralateral kidney removed, a significant release of renin occurred from the denervated kidney during reduction in pressure.In dogs with contralateral intact kidney, renin content of the renal cortex of the denervated kidney was significantly decreased as compared to that of the contralateral innervated kidney. In dogs with contralateral kidney removed, renin content of the denervated kidney did not show a decrease as compared to that of the previously removed kidney. The possibilities for the different response of the denervated kidney between the both situations were discussed.