Abstract

Introduction

Materials & Methods

Results

Discussion & Conclusion

References

Discussion
Board

Our laboratory is investigating vasodilator responses in resistance vessels of rats with short term (3 days) and chronic (4-6 weeks) reduced renal mass hypertension (RRM-HT) and vessels of normotensive rats on short term and chronic high salt (HS) diets (4% NaCl). In situ cremasteric arterioles of rats with short term and chronic RRM-HT and arterioles of rats on short term and chronic HS diets exhibited impaired relaxation in response to acetylcholine, cholera toxin, and iloprost compared to vessels of normotensive controls on a low salt (LS) diet (0.4% NaCl). Isolated skeletal muscle resistance arteries (SRA) of normotensive rats on the HS diets exhibited an impaired relaxation in response to hypoxia, acetylcholine, and iloprost compared to those of LS controls. Pial arterioles of animals on a short term HS diet also exhibited an impaired dilation in response to acetylcholine and iloprost. Vasodilator responses of SRA from animals on a short term HS diet could be restored by continuous infusion of a low dose (5-6 ng/kg/min, i.v.) of angiotensin II. These results indicate that both hypertension and high salt diet lead to rapid functional alterations in arterioles and resistance arteries, and that impaired vasodilator responses in animals on a HS diet may be mediated by angiotensin II suppression.

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Presentation Number SAlombard0532
Keywords: hypertension, microcirculation, sodium chloride, smooth muscle, endothelium