Effect of environmental stress on neural control of renal function.

Environmental stress increases renal sympathetic nerve activity and decreases urinary sodium excretion to a greater degree in conscious hypertensive rats (spontaneously hypertensive rat; deoxycorticosterone-sodium chloride, Dahl salt-sensitive) than normotensive control rats. The dependence of the antinatriuretic response to environmental stress on the renal sympathetic nerves is indicated by the finding that renal denervation prevents the response. Central nervous system beta 2- and alpha 2-adrenoceptors mediated the renal sympathetic nerve activity and antinatriuretic responses to environmental stress in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats. Increased renal sympathetic nerve activity and renal sodium retention may contribute to chronic stress hypertension.