title: A Novel Swine Model of Spontaneous Hypertension With Sympathetic Hyperactivity Responds Well to Renal Denervation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The large animal model of arterial hypertension is very valuable to test the antihypertensive drugs and devices. We characterized a novel swine model of spontaneous hypertension and investigated its response to renal denervation (RDN).
  
  
  METHODS
  The blood pressure (BP), levels of plasma catecholamines and urine vanillylmandelic acid, and the protein expressions of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin II type 1 (AT1), and type 2 (AT2) receptors in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) were compared between domestic pigs and Guizhou mini-pigs. Twelve-month-old Guizhou mini-pigs were divided into sham (n = 7) and ablation (n = 7) groups. The mini-pigs in ablation group received bilateral percutaneous RDN with a saline-irrigated Sniper ablation catheter. Three months after the procedure, the BP was measured and the histology of renal nerves and arteries was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mini-pigs spontaneously developed hypertension by the age of 6 months and the BP (162.2 ± 11.4/111.8 ± 9.2mm Hg) was significantly higher than age-matched domestic pigs (137.5 ± 1.9/80.2 ± 4.1mm Hg, P < 0.05). The levels of plasma catecholamines and urine vanillylmandelic acid were higher in mini-pigs than domestic pigs. The expressions of ACE and AT1 were increased, but the AT2 was decreased, in RVLM from mini-pigs compared with domestic pigs. Three months after the procedure, the BP was sharply reduced in ablation group (113.8 ± 14.4/79.4 ± 11.7 mm Hg) compared with sham group (192.4 ± 10.5/141.2 ± 5.9 mm Hg, P < 0.01). Renal nerves were substantially destroyed, while renal arteries and function were not significantly affected by ablation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Guizhou mini-pig is a novel spontaneous hypertensive animal model with sympathetic hyperactivity and responds well to RDN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: De
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Dachun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Shujie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Linan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Tingqiao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Yunrong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Yongjian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. ma.shuangtao@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shuangtao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000294:innervation; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D013562:Sympathectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine
keywords: blood pressure; hypertension; mini-pig; radiofrequency; sympathetic activity.