Salt-rich Diet and Experimental Renovascular Hypertension in the Rabbit

Abstract

The effect of salt-rich feeding on renal hypertension and the role of ischemic kidney in maintaining persistent hypertension were experimentally investigated. Unilateral constriction of the renal artery was produced in rabbits with a silver clip, the opposite kidney being left intact. The mean rise of blood pressure was significantly greater in 20 rabbits which were fed a salt-rich diet than in 11 rabbits which were fed a standard diet. After persistent hypertension was established, the ischemic kidney was removed in 7 rabbits. The operation induced a prompt fall of blood pressure. Plasma renin activity was within normal levels in the chronic stage of renal hypertension. The results indicate that feeding of a salt-rich diet increases the blood pressure in renovascular hypertensive rabbits and some renal mechanism is involved in the chronic stage of renal hypertension even if plasmaa renin activity is not elevated.