Preclinical Evaluation of a Novel Cryo Renal Denervation System

Figures

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  Figure 1. Cryoballoon Position in the Renal Artery Histological slides for histopathological evaluation after Cryo-RDN were done in 4-mm intervals as measured from the first distal renal branch.

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  Figure 2. Cryo-RDN of the Left Renal Artery Insertion of guiding sheath (left), angiography (center), and insertion of cryoballoon through the barium sulphate enriched tip of the guiding sheath, cylindrical portion of the balloon is indicated by marker bands (right)

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  Figure 3. 28-Day Norepinephrine Concentrations After Unilateral Cryo-RDN and 7 Days After Unilateral Cryo-RDN After unilateral Cryo-RDN (left) and 7 days after unilateral Cryo-RDN (right). 6 samples per kidney, “treated/all” means that all treated animals with unilateral and bilateral Cryo-RDN were pooled. (∗∗∗P < 0.001, ∗∗P < 0.01, ∗P < 0.05, ns = not significant.) N denotes the number of measurements per group. Per kidney, 6 measurements were performed and up to 2 kidneys per animal were used; 8 kidneys were available for the total analysis in the 7- and 28-day animals.

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  Figure 4. Norepinephrine Measurements in the Renal Cortex as a Function of Cryotimes P values are based on the independent-samples Kruskal-Wallis Test. (∗∗∗P < 0.001, ∗∗P < 0.01, ∗P < 0.05, ns = not significant.) N denotes the number of measurements per cryotime. Per kidney, 6 measurements were done and up to 2 kidneys per animal were used; 8 kidneys were available for the total analysis. Cryotimes ≥200 s and ≤360 s led to highly significant reductions in renal cortes NE concentrations (P < 0.001).

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  Figure 5. Exemplary High-Power Images Displaying Successfully Denervated Nerves Located Within a 5-mm Radius Around the Treated Vessel of Animal B1, 7 Days After Cryoablation Hematoxylin-eosin (A, C, D) and tyrosine hydroxylase (B, C) staining, 10× (B, C) and 20× (D, E) magnification. Tyrosine hydroxylase staining intensity ranged from very weak/patchy (B) to no (C) intensity. Nerves showed minimal (E) to mild (D) signs of injury.