Spectral analysis of the renal sympathetic neurogram during left ventricular assistance.

To assess the effect of left ventricular assistance on cardiac-related sympathetic nerve activity, renal sympathetic nerve activity was analysed using power spectrum and coherence function. Our TH-7B pneumatically driven sac type Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) was used in the acute experiment of 7 adult mongrel dogs. VAD were inserted between the left atrium and the descending aorta as left heart bypass. RSNA was detected by use of the bipolar electrodes attached to the left renal sympathetic nerve. Values of squared coherence between the arterial pulse wave and RSNA were measured at the cardiac rhythm and VAD pumping rhythm. Before the left ventricular assistance, coherence at the cardiac rhythm and the pumping rhythm were 0.62 +/- 0.15, 0.23 +/- 0.18 (mean +/- SD), respectively. With the VAD pumping, these values became 0.09 +/- 0.05, 0.53 +/- 0.20, respectively. These results indicate that arterial pressure wave which was created by the VAD assistance contributed to the post ganglionic sympathetic activity.