Is the risk of cardiovascular disease due to low sodium intake due to increased sympathetic nerve activity?

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K00920
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Eating habits
• Research Institution: Nara Women's University
• Principal Investigator: Yoshimoto Misa 奈良女子大学, 生活環境科学系, 准教授 (20418784)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 高血圧 / 減塩 / 腎交感神経活動 / 腰部交感神経活動 / 動脈圧 / ラット

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To study the contribution of sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) to the process of low sodium intake, experiments were designed to continuously and simultaneously measure renal (RSNA) and lumbar SNA during the development of hypertension induced by 8% salt loading and then returned to a normal diet to low sodium diet in Dahl salt-sensitive rats. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) significantly increased during 2 weeks of salt loading. However, the sympathetic nerve activity did not increase. After to the process of low sodium intake, MAP returned to the pre-salt loading level, but RSNA was significantly increased by 32 ± 3%. It was suggested that RSNA activity is hypersensitive to salt loss.

Free Research Field

家政学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近年、塩分摂取と心血管イベントのリスクや死亡率は、直線ではなく、J カーブ、つまり少なすぎても危険であるという調査報告もなされている。本研究成果は、この調査報告を実験的に検証するものである。今回の研究結果より、急激な減塩により血圧は低下するものの腎交感神経活動の著しい増加が見られた。今回の腎交感神経活動の著しい増加が生体に及ぼす影響は明らかではないが、急激な減塩が腎交感神経活動の増加をもたらし、ひいては心血管疾患を引き起こす可能性が示唆される。今回の実験は減塩を再考する結果であり社会的意義は大きい。