Experimental studies on the nervous control of the renal circulation. Effect of the electrical stimulation of splanchnic, vagal and other somatic nerves and of the occlusion of carotid arteries on the renal circulation.

Abstract

In order to investigate the nervous control of the renal circulation, the renal blood flow was measured by electromagnetic flow meter during the stimulation of the distal cut ends of the splanchnic nerves and the vagal nerve. In addition, the alterations of renal blood flow were observed on carotid occlusion and on stimulation of the proximal end of the divided femoral, sciatic and cervical vagal nerves. The stimulation of the greater and lesser splanchnic nerves produced constriction of renal vessels but the stimulation of the least splanchnic nerve had no effect. The effect of stimulation of the distal end of the vagal nerve to the renal vessels remained unestablished. Carotid occlusion did not influence the renal blood flow. The stimulation of the proximal end of the divided femoral or sciatic nerve may have produced renal vasoconstriction. By the stimulation of the proximal end of the divided vagal nerve, the renal vessels showed various responses with no relation to the alteration in blood pressure. It is a matter of interest that renal vasodilatation may take place in response to vagal afferent stimuli.