Front Physiol. 2015 Aug 25;6:238. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2015.00238. eCollection 2015.
Frontiers in physiology
Rohit Ramchandra, Carolyn J Barrett
PMID: 26388778 PMCID: PMC4556040 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2015.00238
Heart failure (HF) is a serious debilitating condition with poor survival rates and an increasing level of prevalence. HF is associated with an increase in renal norepinephrine (NE) spillover, which is an independent predictor of mortality in HF patients. The excessive sympatho-excitation that is a hallmark of HF has long-term effects that contribute to disease progression. An increase in directly recorded renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) has also been recorded in animal models of HF. This review will focus on the mechanisms controlling sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) to the kidney during normal conditions and alterations in these mechanisms during HF. In particular the roles of afferent reflexes and central mechanisms will be discussed.
Keywords: central control; heart failure; renal sympathetic nerve activity