24-hour blood pressure recordings in Dahl rats on high- and low-salt diets

The goal of this study was to determine if the baroreflex abnormality previously shown in Dahl-sensitive (DS) rats would increase blood pressure and heart rate (HR) variability. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and HR were sampled every 2 s for 24 h from Dahl-resistant (DR) and DS rats on low- and high-salt diets (n = 12-13 in each group). MAP +/- SD was significantly elevated in the DS rats on high-salt diets (DSH); the SD of MAP in the DSH rats was also significantly higher compared with similar measurements in rats on high-salt diets (DRH) and DS rats on low-salt diets (DSL) when SD was divided by MAP. MAP was higher at night than during the day in the DSH rats. In contrast, HR and HR variability were not significantly different between the groups. The baroreflex control of HR, determined by means of graded injections of phenylephrine, was least in the DSH rats and increased, respectively, with DSL rats, DRH rats, and DR rats on low-salt diets. There was no significant correlation between the baroreflex control of HR and MAP or the SD of MAP in the DSH rats, suggesting that there is not a simple relationship between baroreflex gain and the overall behavior of MAP in DSH rats.