BMC Cardiovascular Disorders (Apr 2020)

Aggravated endothelial endocrine dysfunction and intimal thickening of renal artery in high-fat diet-induced obese pigs following renal denervation

  • Enyong Su,
  • Linwei Zhao,
  • Xiaohang Yang,
  • Binbin Zhu,
  • Yahui Liu,
  • Wen Zhao,
  • Xianpei Wang,
  • Datun Qi,
  • Lijie Zhu,
  • Chuanyu Gao

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-020-01472-7
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Abstract Background Renal denervation (RDN) targeting the sympathetic nerves in the renal arterial adventitia as a treatment of resistant hypertension can cause endothelial injury and vascular wall injury. This study aims to evaluate the risk of atherosclerosis induced by RDN in renal arteries. Methods A total of 15 minipigs were randomly assigned to 3 groups: (1) control group, (2) sham group, and (3) RDN group (n = 5 per group). All pigs were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 6 months after appropriate treatment. The degree of intimal thickening of renal artery and the conversion of endothelin 1 (ET-1) receptors were evaluated by histological staining. Western blot was used to assess the expression of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis signaling pathway, ET-1 and its receptors, NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) proteins, and the activation of NF-kappa B (NF-κB). Results The histological staining results suggested that compared to the sham treatment, RDN led to significant intimal thickening and significantly promoted the production of endothelin B receptor (ETBR) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Western blotting analysis indicated that RDN significantly suppressed the expression of AMPK/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway proteins, and decreased the production of NO, and increased the expression of endothelin system proteins including endothelin-1 (ET-1), endothelin converting enzyme 1 (ECE1), endothelin A receptor (ETAR) and ETBR; and upregulated the expression of NOX2 and 4-HNE proteins and enhanced the activation of NF-kappa B (NF-κB) when compared with the sham treatment (all p 0.05). Conclusions RDN aggravated endothelial endocrine dysfunction and intimal thickening, and increased the risk of atherosclerosis in renal arteries of HFD-fed pigs.

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