The role of hypothalamic glutathione in hypertensive animals

The role of brain glutathione metabolism in hypertensive animals was studied. In spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) from prehypertension to established hypertension, the content of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and the ratio of GSSG to GSH in the hypothalamus were significantly (p less than 0.05) higher than those in age-matched normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). Hypothalamic glutathione reductase (GR) activities in prehypertensive and established hypertensive SHR were significantly (p less than 0.05) lower than those in WKY. DOCA-salt hypertensive rats (DSR) also had a significantly (p less than 0.05) higher content of GSSG and GSSG/GSH ratio and a significantly (p less than 0.05) lower GR activity in the hypothalamus than the normotensive control. There were no significant differences in these values in the brain stem between hypertensive and normotensive rats. These results suggest that the increased GSSG/GSH ratio due to reduced activity of GR in the hypothalamus may have an important role in the development of hypertension in SHR and DSR.