Morphometric study of mesenteric arteries from genetically hypertensive Dahl strain rats

Morphometric measurements on different arteries at the light-microscopic level and ultrastructural studies of the mesenteric arteries were carried out in salt-sensitive (DS) and salt-resistant (DR) Dahl rats given a high-salt (8%) or low-salt (0.4%) diet for 6-7 weeks. Hypertension was produced in DS rats given high-salt diet (DS-H), while only moderate hypertension was produced in DS rats given low-salt diet (DS-L). Blood pressure in DR rats given high salt (DR-H) and low salt (DR-L), however, was normal. Cross-sectional area of the media was increased significantly in the superior mesenteric artery (an elastic artery), large mesenteric arteries (muscular arteries) and small mesenteric arteries (small muscular arteries or arterioles) from DS-H rats. In all the vessel types, this increase was positively correlated with the increase in blood pressure. In the superior mesenteric artery, medial wall increase was probably due to an increase in intercellular space, and/or hypertrophy of the smooth muscle cells. Similarly, increase in the media of small mesenteric arteries was probably due to hypertrophy of the smooth muscle cells. In contrast, increase in the media of large mesenteric arteries was related to hyperplasia of the smooth muscle cells. Damage to endothelial cells was noted in the 3 vessel types from DS-H. Intimal lesions composed of myointimal cells were found in the superior mesenteric arteries of all the rat groups. Our results showed that the incidence of these lesion formations was higher in the following order: DS-H greater than DS-L greater than DR-H greater than DR-L, suggesting that the degree of hypertension (DS vs. DR rats) and the amount of salt in the diet (DR-H vs. DR-L) may be some of the factors contributing to the development of these lesions. We conclude that hyperreactivity of the arteries due to increase in medial smooth muscle mass (e.g. muscular arteries), and/or probably impaired relaxation capability of the arteries in the DS-H rats due to endothelial cell damage, may contribute to the elevation of BP in the Dahl model of genetic hypertension.