Norepinephrine turnover in the cardiovascular tissues and brain stem of the rabbit during development of one-kidney and two-kidney Goldblatt hypertension.

To assess the role of the sympathetic and central noradrenergic neurons in one- and two- kidney Goldblatt hypertension, we examined the concentration and turnover of norepinephrine (NE) in the aorta, mesenteric artery, left ventricle, hypothalamus, midbrain, and pons medulla of hypertensive and control rabbits. Animals were made hypertensive by constriction of the left renal artery after right nephrectomy (1KGH group) or with the right kidney left intact (2KGH group), or were sham-operated on the renal artery (1KGC and 2KGC groups). At 14 days after the constriction, the blood pressure was increased to 136 +/- 3 mm Hg in the 1KGH vs 98 +/- 3 mm Hg in the 1KGC (p less than 0.001), and 136 +/- 2 mm Hg in the 2KGH vs 94 +/- 2 mm Hg in the 2KGC group (p less than 0.001). Turnover time in the aorta, mesenteric artery, and left ventricle in the 1KGH group was decreased to 47%, 45%, and 65% of that in the 1KGC group, respectively. Results suggest that enhanced sympathetic neuron activity in the cardiovascular system, especially in the arteries, contributes to the development of one-kidney Goldblatt hypertension. Norepinephrine turnover in the cardiovascular tissues in the 2KGH group and in the brain stem in the 1KGH and 2KGH group was not different from that in the control group.