Effect of Renal Denervation on Early and Late Stages of Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a major driver of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although the FDA has recently approved renal denervation (RDNx) to treat hypertension, contradictory findings have been reported on the effect of RDNx on the progression of DKD in type 2 diabetes. Here, we used type 2 diabetic nephropathy (T2DN) rats, a well-established non-obese model that mimics key features in human DKD, to evaluate the effect of RDNx on the progression of DKD in the early and late stages of diabetic nephropathy. Results indicate that RDNx lowers mean arterial pressure in the early but not late stage of DKD without improving glycemic control or renal function, which may suggest that the effect of RDNx on type 2 diabetes is stage-dependent, emphasizing the importance of timing when considering RDNx as a potential treatment for DKD.