Effects of renal sympathetic denervation using saline-irrigated radiofrequency ablation catheter on the activity of the renin-angiotensin system and endothelin-1

Introduction: Excessive activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) are crucial and interacted closely in the pathogenesis of chronic cardiovascular diseases. This study investigated the effects of renal denervation (RDN) on the RAS. Materials and methods: Eight Chinese Kunming dogs underwent bilateral RDN utilizing saline-irrigated radiofrequency ablation catheter. Blood pressure (BP) measurements, blood sampling assays and renal angiography were performed at baseline, 30 min, one month and three months after ablation. Results: During three months of follow-up, RDN caused a significant and uniform reduction in plasma level of renin, angiotensin II, and endothelin-1(ET-1), with the reduction of –5.7±6.8 ( p =0.049), –19.4±19.3 ( p =0.025), and –22.4±21 pg/ml ( p =0.02) for plasma renin, –10.6±7.2 ( p =0.004), –15.9±8.8 ( p =0.001), and –15.2±9.6 pg/ml ( p =0.003) for plasma angiotensin II, as well as –3.9±3 ( p =0.007), –10.8±5 ( p