Altered concentration of catecholamines in the hypothalamus of the rat after renal denervation

Abstract

Concentrations of noradrenaline, adrenaline, and dopamine were measured using a sensitive radioenzymatic assay in hypothalamic nuclei of rats 4 days after bilateral renal denervation. After renal denervation, catecholamine levels in several hypothalamic nuclei were found to be different from those of sham-operated animals. Noradrenaline was found to be increased in the supraoptic nucleus, adrenaline was increased in the paraventricular nucleus and lateral hypothalamic area, and dopamine was decreased in the supraoptic nucleus, medial preoptic nucleus and lateral hypothalamic area. These data suggest that afferent renal fibers influence the metabolism of hypothalamic catecholamines and that neural information originating in the kidney and transmitted to the hypothalamus is probably involved in physiological responses related to cardiovascular adjustments and body fluid balance.