Renal nerves in renal adaptation to dietary sodium restriction

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Abstract
To assess the physiologic importance of the renal nerves in the renal mechanisms for the maintenance of body Na balance, renal adaptation to normal and low Na diet was evaluated in conscious Sprague-Dawley male rats before and 8 days after recovery from bilateral surgical-pharmacological renal denervation. Renal denervation was confirmed in every rat at the end of the study by absence of renal vasoconstriction to splanchnic nerve stimulation and loss of renal tissue norepinephrine content. Daily Na balance, defined as the difference between dietary Na intake and urinary Na excretion, was positive with the normal Na diet before and after bilateral renal denervation. Prior to bilateral renal denervation, changing to the low Na diet was associated with a diminishingly negative Na balance for 3 days that became progressively positive thereafter. After bilateral renal denervation, changing to the low Na diet was associated with a continuous and progressively negative Na balance. Intact renal innervation is required for normal renal Na conservation and maintenance of body Na balance during dietary Na restriction.