Renal hemodynamics during development of hypertension in young spontaneously hypertensive rats

Cross-transplantation studies between animals with genetic hypertension and normotensive animals indicate a key role of the kidney in development of hypertension, and studies in young spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) have shown reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal blood flow (RBF) for a short period at the age of 4-6 weeks during blood pressure increase. We tested the hypothesis that a decline in GFR during development of hypertension in SHR might be more pronounced in juxtamedullary cortex than other cortical zones.

By use of the aprotinin method, total and zonal cortical GFR was measured in anaesthetized Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and SHR at the ages of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks. RBF was measured by a transit time flowmeter.

Body and kidney weights in SHR and WKY were not significantly different in any age group (p >0.05). Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was not different at the age of 2 weeks (79 +/- 6 mm Hg in SHR and 74 +/- 5 mm Hg in WKY, p > 0.05), but was significantly higher in 4-week-old SHR (104 +/- 1 mm Hg) compared to 4-week-old WKY (77 +/- 3 mm Hg) (p < 0.01). The difference in blood pressure increased with age from 4 to 10 weeks. RBF, total GFR, and outer, middle, and inner cortical GFR increased with age but were not different in SHR and WKY in any age group (p >0.05). Renal vascular resistance was increased from 4 weeks of age in SHR (21.5 +/- 1.8), significantly higher than WKY (14.4 +/- 0.9 mm Hg x ml(-1) x min.g) (p < 0.01) and stayed at higher values in older age groups (p < or = 0.01).

RBF, total and zonal GFR are not significantly different in anaesthetized SHR compared to WKY at ages from 2 to 10 weeks and GFR in juxtamedullary cortex is not decreased in SHR during onset of hypertension. The results from the present study indicate that development of hypertension cannot be explained by a temporary decline in RBF or total or zonal GFR.