ReviewSympathetic innervation of the kidney in health and disease: Emphasis on the role of purinergic cotransmission

- Non-synaptic sympathetic cotransmission involving ATP and noradrenaline
- Sympathetic innervation of blood vessels, glomerulus and nephron
- Sympathetic nerves control the glomerular filtration rate and renin secretion.
- Sympathetic modulation of resorption of water, sodium and other ions
- Sympathetic nerves in kidney are involved in hypertension, diabetes and ischaemia.

There is introductory information about non-synaptic transmission at sympathetic neuroeffector junctions and sympathetic nerve cotransmission utilizing noradrenaline and ATP as cotransmitters. Then the organzation and location of sympathetic nerves in different sites in the kidney are described, including renal arteries, juxtaglomerular arterioles and renal tubules. Sympathetic nervous control of glomerular filtration rate and of renin secretion are discussed. Evidence, obtained largely from experiments on animals, for sympathetic nerve modulation of the transport of water, sodium and other ions in the collecting duct of the nephron is described. Finally, there is coverage of the roles of sympathetic nerves in renal diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, hypothyroidism and ischaemia.