Improvement of cardiac diastolic function by long-term centrally mediated sympathetic inhibition in one-kidney, one-clip hypertensive rabbits.

Background: Hypertension is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and diastolic dysfunction. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is strongly implicated in these alterations. The possible beneficial effect of a centrally mediated sympathetic inhibition on the diastolic function in severe hypertension has never been studied.