Renal Nerve-Mediated Proximal Tubule Solute Reabsorption Contributes to Hypertension in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Renal nerve activity increases (Na+, K+)-ATPase activity and contributes to the development of hypertension in young SHR. The present study was designed to examine the effect of sodium intake on blood pressure and proximal tubule solute reabsorption in sham-operated or renal denervated, 5-week old SHR and WKY. Three-week old SHR and WKY rats underwent sham surgery or renal denervation with 10% phenol and were maintained for 10 days on either a 0.6% or 2.2% NaCl diet. Blood pressure was obtained by indirect tail cuff measurements during this interval. Of the eight groups, only sham-operated SHR on a high sodium diet had hypertension, 122.0 +/- 4.2 mm Hg vs. 98.7 +/- 3.3 mm Hg (mean for remaining groups). Renal plasma flow (RPF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and the fractional excretion of lithium (FELi) were determined in rats maintained on a 2.2% sodium diet at 5 weeks of age. FELi was less in sham-operated SHR, 5.3 +/- 0.7%, compared to WKY, 9.4 +/- 2.8% (P less than 0.02). Furthermore, denervation ameliorated the reduced FELi in SHR, 10.2 +/- 1.2%, without affecting FELi in WKY. RPF and GFR were similar between sham-operated and renal denervated SHR and WKY. No significant difference could be detected in net sodium balance between WKY and SHR during this period. These findings demonstrate 1) from the basis of FELi, young SHR, of this strain, exhibit enhanced proximal tubule solute reabsorption and hypertension while on a high sodium diet and, 2) renal denervation ameliorates both the enhanced proximal tubule solute reabsorption and the early development of hypertension. These data support the concept that renal nerve activity of young SHR is augmented and contributes to the development of hypertension by enhancing salt retention.