Abstract
Percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) may improve cardiac function in renovascular hypertension (RVH), but its effect on the biological mechanisms implicated in cardiac damage remains unknown. We hypothesized that restoration of kidney function by PTRA ameliorates myocardial mitochondrial damage and preserves cardiac function in pigs with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and RVH. Pigs were studied after 16 weeks of MetS+RVH, MetS+RVH treated 4 weeks earlier with PTRA, and Lean and MetS Sham controls (n=6 each). Cardiac function was assessed by multi-detector CT, whereas cardiac mitochondrial morphology and function, microvascular remodeling, and injury pathways were assessed ex vivo. PTRA attenuated myocardial mitochondrial damage, improved capillary and microvascular maturity, and ameliorated oxidative stress and fibrosis, in association with attenuation of left ventricular remodeling and diastolic dysfunction. Myocardial mitochondrial damage correlated with myocardial injury and renal dysfunction. Preservation of myocardial mitochondria with PTRA can enhance cardiac recovery, underscoring its therapeutic potential in experimental MetS+RVH.