Effects of Renal Denervation on Cerebral Hypertension in the Rabbit

Abstract

An extension of the study of cerebral hypertension in the rabbit was made over a period of 2 yrs. It is believed that the elevation of the arterial pressure in these animals is real in that attempts at checking the blood pressure by various procedures in both the unanesthetized and anesthetized rabbit have yielded similar values. On the basis of the lowering of pressure which is obtained by renal denervation in the cerebral, and in the spontaneous hypertensive rabbit it is believed that the renal nervous mechanism is in some way related to the maintenance of the hypertension. Possible mechanisms by which these efferent impulses may bring about hypertension are discussed. The effectiveness of splanchnicectomy and sympathectomy in essential hypertension may be dependent upon the degree to which the kidneys are denervated. Therefore it is possible that renal denervation alone might achieve the same results as these more drastic procedures.