Renal Afferents.
The etiology of hypertension, a critical public health issue affecting one in three US adults, involves the integration of the actions of multiple organ systems, including the renal sympathetic nerves. The renal sympathetic nerves, which are comprised of both afferent (sensory input) and efferent (sympathetic outflow) arms, have emerged as a major potential therapeutic target to treat hypertension and disease states exhibiting excess renal sympathetic activity.



This review highlights recent advances in both clinical and basic science that have provided new insight into the distribution, function, and reinnervation of the renal sympathetic nerves, with a focus on the renal afferent nerves, in hypertension and hypertension-evoked disease states including salt-sensitive hypertension, obesity-induced hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. Increased understanding of the differential role of the renal afferent versus efferent nerves in the pathophysiology of hypertension has the potential to identify novel targets and refine therapeutic interventions designed to treat hypertension.
Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics and The Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, Boston, 02118, MA, USA.
Alissa A
AA
Frame
Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics and The Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, Boston, 02118, MA, USA.
Casey Y
CY
Carmichael
Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics and The Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, Boston, 02118, MA, USA. rwainf@bu.edu.
Richard D
RD
Wainford
D000818:Animals; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D007668:Kidney / Q000294:innervation*; D013562:Sympathectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery
Hypertension; Radiofrequency ablation; Renal afferent nerves; Renal denervation; Renal efferent nerves; Sympathetic nervous system