Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Cardiac structural and functional responses to salt loading in SHR.

Jwari Ahn1, Jasmina Varagic, Michel Slama

  • 1Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, Louisiana 70121, USA.

American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology
|April 3, 2004
PubMed
Summary

High salt intake in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) worsens cardiac fibrosis and impairs left ventricular (LV) function, especially in younger rats. Early salt exposure leads to more severe cardiac damage and potential heart failure in SHR.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Blood Pressure Assessment Across the Lifespan: Improving Clinical Research and Clinical Practice: A National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Workshop Report.

Journal of the American College of Cardiology·2026
Same author

Cannabis Exposure After Pregnancy and Development of Hypertension in the nuMoM2b Heart Health Study.

O&G open·2026
Same author

The calcium-sensing receptor in sepsis and septic shock, mechanistic pathways and translational perspectives: a systematic review.

Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.]·2026
Same author

The ultrasound of silence.

Intensive care medicine·2026
Same author

Careful ventilation in acute respiratory distress syndrome: the protocol of the CAVIARDS international multicentre randomised basket trial.

BMJ open·2026
Same author

Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in critically ill patients: from pathophysiology and diagnosis to the management with the "LVOTO" bundle.

Anaesthesia, critical care & pain medicine·2026

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Renal and Electrolyte Balance
  • Pathology and Disease Models

Background:

  • Dietary salt intake is a known factor in cardiovascular disease, particularly hypertension.
  • While salt's effect on cardiac fibrosis is established, its impact on left ventricular (LV) function across different age groups in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) requires further elucidation.
  • Younger normotensive rats exhibit greater sensitivity to dietary sodium's trophic effects than older rats, suggesting age-dependent responses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cardiac responses to high salt loading in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) at two distinct age points (8 and 20 weeks).
  • To assess the impact of dietary salt on left ventricular (LV) collagen content and overall cardiac function in SHR.
  • To determine if younger SHR are more susceptible to salt-induced cardiac damage compared to older SHR.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Methods:

  • SHR at 8 or 20 weeks of age were fed an 8% salt diet, with age-matched controls receiving standard chow.
  • Echocardiography was used to measure LV function, including systolic and diastolic parameters.
  • Arterial pressure and LV hydroxyproline concentration (a marker of collagen) were measured at relevant time points (16 weeks for younger group, 52 weeks for older group).

Main Results:

  • High salt intake increased arterial pressure, LV mass, and hydroxyproline concentration in most SHR.
  • LV diastolic function was impaired, evidenced by prolonged isovolumic relaxation time and altered mitral inflow patterns (decreased V(E)/V(A), slower V(P)).
  • A subset of young salt-loaded SHR developed heart failure with systolic and diastolic dysfunction, increased LV mass, fibrosis, and signs of increased LV stiffness.

Conclusions:

  • Dietary salt excess in SHR leads to elevated blood pressure, cardiac fibrosis, and impaired LV diastolic function.
  • Younger SHR are more vulnerable to salt-induced cardiac damage, with a significant portion developing heart failure and systolic dysfunction.
  • Sodium sensitivity in SHR manifests as both pressure elevation and significant LV functional impairment, strongly linked to enhanced ventricular fibrosis, particularly when initiated early in life.