Renal artery denervation: unsolved questions about mechanisms of changes of systemic hemodynamics

Abstract

In the review we discussed the clinical and physiological aspects of the use of renal artery denervation as an interventional method of treatment of refractory essential arterial hypertension. The application of radiofrequency denervation may be considered as an additional treatment to drug therapy in patients with arterial hypertension. At the same time, the main emphasis in the performed experimental and clinical studies was made on the assessment of changes in blood pressure, cardiac output and the calculated index of total peripheral resistance. However, there is no satisfactory data in the literature about changes of the venous return, as well as superior and inferior venae cavae flows. To assess the effectiveness of renal artery denervation on arterial and venous vessels resistance shifts, it is necessary to carry out experimental studies with perfusion of isolated organs in the conditions of modeling arterial hypertension in animals. The question of the extent to which denervation of the renal arteries leads to shifts in the reactions of organ venous vessels in response to pressor reflex stimuli also requires further studies on experimental models. There are practically no data in the literature on the degree of influence of renal artery denervation on orthostatic tolerance. To understand the mechanisms of changes in systemic hemodynamics in response to denervation of the renal arteries, it is also necessary to perform further research on the mechanisms of shifts in the capacitive and resistive functions of the pulmonary circulation with an assessment of pulmonary microcirculation.