High-potassium diet attenuates salt-induced acceleration of hypertension in SHR

We studied the effects of K supplementation (8% KCl) for 4 wk on blood pressure (BP), Na space, and renal hemodynamics in 5-wk-old, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) or age-matched Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) eating normal-NaCl (0.66%) or high-NaCl (8%) diet. In WKY, high-Na and/or high-K diets had no effects on BP. In SHR, Na load accelerated the development of hypertension, whereas K supplementation did not affect BP of normal-Na SHR but attenuated the increase in BP with Na load. Correspondingly, Na load in SHR significantly increased renal vascular resistance (RVR), and K supplementation attenuated the increased RVR of Na-loaded SHR. Moreover, Na space of SHR was increased compared with that of WKY, and although Na load did not affect Na space, K supplementation tended to decrease Na space in SHR. These results indicate that 9-wk-old SHR is relatively volume-expanded compared with age-matched WKY, and K supplementation could improve the lowered slope of the pressure-Na excretion relationship in SHR, resulting in maintenance of Na balance. Thus the data suggest that changes in RVR, which might be intimately related to renal function for Na excretion, contribute to both salt sensitivity of SHR and antihypertensive action of K supplementation in Na-loaded SHR.