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The exaggerated natriuresis of essential hypertension occurs independently of changes in renal medullary blood flow
Author(s) -
Assersen Kasper B.,
HøilundCarlsen Poul F.,
Olsen Michael H.,
Greve Sara V.,
GamHadberg Jens C.,
Braad PoulErik,
Damkjaer Mads,
Bie Peter
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
acta physiologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.591
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1748-1716
pISSN - 1748-1708
DOI - 10.1111/apha.13266
Subject(s) - natriuresis , renal blood flow , medicine , endocrinology , extracellular fluid , medullary cavity , blood pressure , essential hypertension , kidney , blood volume , renal physiology , chemistry , extracellular , biochemistry
Aims In patients with essential hypertension, abnormal renal sodium handling includes exaggerated natriuresis in response to extracellular volume expansion. We tested the hypothesis that exaggerated natriuresis is associated with increases in medullary and/or cortical renal blood flow. Methods Patients with mild essential hypertension, but no signs of end organ damage, and control subjects were studied after 4 days of dietary standardization (<60 mmol Na + day −1 ) preceded in patients by a 14‐day drug washout period. On the study day, subjects received a 4‐hour intravenous volume expansion with saline (2.1% of body mass). Renal medullary and cortical blood flows were measured by PET scanning using H 2 15 O as tracer; anatomical regions of interest were defined by contrast‐enhanced CT scanning. Results In patients, arterial blood pressure increased during volume expansion (107 ± 2‐114 ± 3 mm Hg, P < 0.05) in contrast to the control group (92 ± 2‐92 ± 2 mm Hg). Renal sodium excretion increased more in patients than in controls (+133 ± 31 µmol min −1 vs +61 ± 14 µmol min −1 , respectively, P < 0.05) confirming exaggerated natriuresis. During volume expansion, renal medullary blood flow did not change significantly in patients (2.8 ± 0.4‐2.5 ± 0.5 mL (g tissue) −1 min −1 ) or in controls (3.2 ± 0.3‐3.1 ± 0.2 mL (g tissue) −1 min −1 ). In control subjects, renal cortical blood flow fell during volume expansion (4.1 ± 0.3‐3.7 ± 0.2 mL (g tissue) −1 min −1 , P < 0.05) in contrast to patients in which deviations remained insignificant. Conclusion Exaggerated natriuresis, a hallmark of essential hypertension, is not mediated by increases in regional, renal blood flow.