Heterogeneity in arterial remodeling among sublines of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Erik N. T. P. Bakker, Gergely Groma, Léon J. A. Spijkers, Judith de Vos, Angela van Weert, Henk van Veen, Vincent Everts, Silvia M. Arribas, Ed VanBavel

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Abstract

Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) have been used frequently as a model for human essential hypertension. However, both the SHR and its normotensive control, the Wistar Kyoto rat (WKY), consist of genetically different sublines. We tested the hypothesis that the pathophysiology of vascular remodeling in hypertension differs among rat sublines. We studied mesenteric resistance arteries of WKY and SHR from three different sources, at 6 weeks and 5 months of age. Sublines of WKY and SHR showed differences in blood pressure, body weight, vascular remodeling, endothelial function, and vessel ultrastructure. Common features in small mesenteric arteries from SHR were an increase in wall thickness, wall-to-lumen ratio, and internal elastic lamina thickness. Endothelial dysfunction, vascular stiffening, and inward remodeling of small mesenteric arteries are not common features of hypertension, but are subline-dependent. Differences in genetic background associate with different types of vascular remodeling in hypertensive rats
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)e107998
JournalPLOS ONE
Volume9
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014

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