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Morphological studies on the paraneuron in spontaneously hypertensive rats
1Department of Pathology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan.
Summary
In spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), early-stage paraneuronic cells in the adrenal medulla, anterior pituitary, gut, and thyroid were found to be hyperplastic and overactive, suggesting a link to hypertension development.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Cell Biology
- Hypertension Research
Background:
- Paraneuronic cells, including those in the adrenal medulla, anterior pituitary, enterochromaffin cells, and mast cells, play crucial roles in physiological regulation.
- Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) serve as a model for human essential hypertension, exhibiting elevated blood pressure from an early age.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the state of paraneuronic cells in SHR during the prehypertensive stage.
- To compare these cells with those in normotensive control rats.
Main Methods:
- Histological examination of paraneuronic cells in adrenal medulla, anterior pituitary, gut, and thyroid.
- Quantitative analysis of cell size, granule/vesicle number, and cell population density.
Main Results:
- SHR adrenal medulla showed enlarged norepinephrine-storing cell islets with increased granules and vesicles.
- Increased percentage of ACTH-producing cells in the anterior pituitary of SHR.
- Greater average number of argyrophilic enterochromaffin cells in the gut of SHR.
- Elevated number of intrathyroidal mast cells observed in SHR.
Conclusions:
- Paraneuronic cells in SHR exhibit hyperplasia and/or hyperactivity from an early, prehypertensive stage.
- These early cellular changes in paraneuronic cells may contribute to the development of hypertension in SHR.