Celiac ganglia neurolysis suppresses high blood pressure in rats

The efficacy of renal denervation in the treatment of resistant hypertension has been controversial, and new strategies for its therapy are urgently needed. We performed the celiac ganglia neurolysis (CGN) or sham surgery on both spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) and Dahl salt-sensitive rat models of hypertension. Following CGN surgery in both strains, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were all lower than the levels in the respective sham surgery rats, which were maintained until the end of the study, 18 weeks postoperatively in SHRs and 12 weeks postoperatively in Dahl rats. CGN therapy destroyed ganglion cell structure and significantly inhibited celiac ganglia nerve viability. Four and twelve weeks after CGN, the plasma renin, angiotensin II and aldosterone levels were markedly attenuated, and the nitric oxide content was significantly increased in the CGN group compared with the respective sham surgery rats. However, CGN did not result in statistical difference in malondialdehyde levels compared with sham surgery in both strains. The CGN has efficacy in reducing high blood pressure and may be an alternative for resistant hypertension. Minimally invasive endoscopic ultrasound-guided celiac ganglia neurolysis (EUS-CGN) and percutaneous CGN are safe and convenient treatment approaches. Moreover, for hypertensive patients who need surgery due to abdominal disease or pain relief from pancreatic cancer, intraoperative CGN or EUS-CGN will be a good choice for hypertension therapy.