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Arterial structural changes with verapamil in spontaneously hypertensive rats
1Department of Internal Medicine and INSERM U337, Broussais Hospital, Paris, France.
American Journal of Hypertension
|July 20, 1999
Summary
Reducing pulse pressure, not mean arterial pressure, may reverse vascular hypertrophy in hypertensive rats. This study suggests pulse pressure is key to preventing vascular remodeling.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Vascular Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Vascular hypertrophy is a hallmark of hypertension.
- The role of pulse pressure versus mean arterial pressure in vascular remodeling is unclear.
- Conduit artery changes in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) are not well-studied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if reducing pulse pressure, rather than mean arterial pressure, reverses vascular hypertrophy.
- To examine the effects of verapamil on vascular structure in SHR.
- To correlate pulse pressure with vascular remodeling in hypertensive animals.
Main Methods:
- Treatment of 4-week-old SHR with verapamil (50 mg/kg) for 16 weeks.
- Comparison with untreated SHR and normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats.
- Measurement of blood pressure, carotid artery diameter and stiffness, and aortic histomorphometry.
Main Results:
- Verapamil significantly reduced pulse pressure but not mean arterial pressure in SHR.
- Carotid artery diameter, medial thickness, and collagen content decreased in verapamil-treated SHR.
- A positive correlation was found between pulse pressure and medial thickness.
Conclusions:
- Verapamil prevented vascular structural changes in SHR without altering mean arterial pressure.
- Pulse pressure reduction may be more critical than mean arterial pressure reduction for preventing vascular remodeling.
- Mechanosensitive elements in the vascular wall may respond to dynamic pressure changes, influencing remodeling.