Evidence for a dissociation between cardiovascular and behavioral reactivity in the spontaneously hypertensive rat

Spontaneously hypertensive rats of the Okamoto strain (SHR) were compared with normotensive rats of the Wistar-Kyoto strain (WKY) on the acoustic startle response in rats prepared for simultaneous blood pressure recordings. Blood pressure was continuously recorded by means of an indwelling cannula in the caudal tail artery. The presentation of the startle stimulus caused a blood pressure response in both strains consisting of an initial increase in blood pressure followed by a decrease and after that a longer lasting, but less pronounced second increase in pressure. The startle-elicited increase in blood pressure was significantly elevated in SHRs and at the same time the acoustic startle response was depressed as compared to WKY rats. These data indicate a dissociation between cardiovascular and behavioral reactivity in the SHR.