Sakakura K, Ladich E, Edelman ER, Markham P, Stanley JR, Keating J, Kolodgie FD, Virmani R, Joner M..Methodological Standardization for the Pre-Clinical Evaluation of Renal Sympathetic Denervation.

Summary: Transcatheter ablation of renal autonomic nerves is a viable option for the treatment of resistant arterial hypertension; however, structured pre-clinical evaluation with standardization of analytical procedures remains a clear gap in this field. Here we discuss the topics relevant to the pre-clinical model for the evaluation of renal denervation (RDN) devices and report methodologies and criteria toward standardization of the safety and efficacy assessment, including histopathological evaluations of the renal artery, periarterial nerves, and associated periadventitial tissues.

JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2014 Sep 9. The manuscript is available for download here.