EFFECT OF RENAL DENERVATION ON RIGHT AND LEFT VENTRICULAR FUNCTION IN HYPERTENSIVE RATS WITH HEART FAILURE INDUCED BY AORTO-CAVAL FISTULA

Background: Renal denervation appears to be an effective tool for lowering blood pressure and experimental data shows that this therapy can effectively prolong the survival rate in animal models of heart failure. However, the effect of renal denervation on the function of the right and left ventricle in the course of heart failure is still unclear.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the effect of renal denervation on the function of the right and left ventricle in hypertensive rats with aorto-caval fistula (ACF).

Methods: Heart failure was induced in Ren-2 transgenic rats (TGR), a model of angiotensin II-dependent hypertension by ACF in the first week of experiment. Renal bilateral denervation (RDN) was made chemically and mechanically in the second week of the experiment. Two weeks after RDN, the functions of the left and right ventricle were measured by biventricular pressure-volume analysis, and the animals were examined using echocardiography each week.

Results: RDN in ACF rats reduced right and left ventricular hypertrophy and lung congestion. In sham-operated rats without heart failure RDN decreased maximum pressure in the left ventricle (by 13.43 mmHg, P < 0.05). In ACF rats, RDN significantly decreased filling volumes and diameter in both systole and diastole of the left ventricle after two weeks. RDN in ACF reduced end-diastolic pressure (by 1.52 mmHg, P < 0.05), maximum pressure (by 5.71 mmHg, P < 0.05) in the right ventricle and improved contractility in both ventricles what was observed as an increase in parameters of systolic function ESPVR and PRSW.

Conclusion: Our results showed cardioprotective effects of renal denervation in hypertensive rats with heart failure. In conclusion, our data suggest that renal denervation could be a promising method in the treatment of both right and left ventricular heart failure.