Carotid sinus denervation ameliorates renovascular hypertension in adult Wistar rats

The peripheral chemoreflex is known to be hyper-responsive in both spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and Goldblatt hypertensive (two kidney one clip2K1C) rats. We have previously shown that carotid sinus nerve denervation (CSD) reduces arterial blood pressure (ABP) in SHR. In the present study, we show that CSD ameliorates 2K1C hypertension and reveal the potential underlying mechanisms. Adult Wistar rats were instrumented to record ABP via telemetry, and then underwent CSD (n=9) or sham CSD (n=9) 5weeks after renal artery clipping, in comparison with normal Wistar rats (n=5). After 21days, renal function was assessed, and tissue was collected to assess sympathetic postganglionic intracellular calcium transients ([Ca2+](i)) and immune cell infiltrates. Hypertensive 2K1C rats showed a profound elevation in ABP (Wistar: 984mmHg vs. 2K1C: 1478mmHgP<0.001), coupled with impairments in renal function and baroreflex sensitivity, increased neuroinflammatory markers and enhanced [Ca2+](I) in stellate neurons (P<0.05). CSD reduced ABP in 2K1C+CSD rats and prevented the further progressive increase in ABP seen in 2K1C+sham CSD rats, with a between-group difference of 142mmHg by week 3 (P