AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 261, Issue 5 1197-R1203, Copyright © 1991 by American Physiological Society
Renal nerves and postprandial renal excretion in the conscious monkey
T. V. Peterson, B. A. Benjamin, N. L. Hurst and C. G. Euler
Department of Medical Physiology, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station 77843-1114.
Experiments were performed in conscious macaque monkeys to determine if the
renal nerves are important in mediating postprandial increases in renal
fluid-electrolyte excretion in this species. Monkeys were given a
high-sodium meal via a nasogastric tube. Consecutive 10-min urine samples
were taken during the 30-min time of meal administration and then 180 min
postprandially. The experiment was performed both before and 10-14 days
after each animal underwent renal denervation. Diuresis and natriuresis
occurred under both renal-innervated and -denervated conditions. However,
the amounts of urine and sodium excreted were less after renal denervation.
For the total 210 min of measurements obtained after the meal was started,
cumulative urine output was 95.0 +/- 26.4 ml and sodium excretion 7.18 +/-
1.74 meq in innervated kidneys vs. 56.7 +/- 7.0 ml (a 40% decrease; P less
than 0.005) and 4.84 +/- 0.99 meq (a 33% decrease; P less than 0.01) after
denervation. These results demonstrate that the renal nerves are important
in the nonhuman primate for eliciting the postprandial changes in urinary
excretion secondary to intake of a high-sodium meal.
