Figure 2.

Schematic description of the experimental protocol for the experiments in sheep. The same study protocol was used in anesthetized and conscious sheep with or without renal denervation. After a stabilization period phenylephrine was infused to obtain minimum RSNA level (ZeroRSNA) in order to discriminate background noise from actual signal burst (this was not done in the renal denervation experiments). After baseline measurements (BL meas) Ringer's acetate solution (20 mL/kg) was infused over 30 min. Urine was collected every 20 min for determination of urine output and analyses. Measurement of physiological parameters and blood sampling was performed 1 and 2 h after start of infusion. At the end of the protocol anesthesia was discontinued (if sevoflurane experiments were performed) and the sheep were allowed back in their cages. Blocker = losartan potassium (5 mg/mL) at a rate of 2 mg/kg/h after a bolus of 4 mg/kg (over 10 min) or Propionyl-D-Tyr(Et)-Phe-Val-Asn-Abu-Pro-Arg-Arg-NH₂ (20 µg/mL) at a rate of 1 µg/kg/h was administered in some of the experiments on renal denervated sheep.