Basic Res Cardiol 97: 177 – 186 (2002) © Steinkopff Verlag 2002 ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION

Central hypercapnic chemoreflex modulation of renal sympathetic nerve activity in experimental heart failure Abstract Activation of the sympathetic nervous system plays an important role in the pathophysiology and progression of congestive heart failure (CHF). The precise mechanisms responsible for sympathetic activation in CHF are not yet clearly established. An altered central hypercapnic chemore-flex modulation of sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) might be an explanation. Therefore, the response of postganglionic renal SNA to elevation of CO2 con-centration in the inspiratory air to 2, 4, and 6 % was determined in anes-thetized, artificially ventilated rats after denervation of peripheral baro- and chemoreceptors 2 weeks (group A; n=8) or 6 weeks (group B; n = 11) after induction of an aorto-caval shunt, or 4 weeks after aortic banding (group C; n = 7). In all CHF models, left ventricular enddiastolic pressure was increase