Implication of renal perfusion pressure in stroke of spontaneously hypertensive rats

To elucidate the significance of hypertension associated with cerebrovascular lesions (CVL), renal perfusion pressure (RPP) was controlled by aortic clips of two different sizes in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats kept under normal or salt-loaded conditions. Tail and femoral arterial pressures (RPPs) in the mildly and severely clamped animals were reduced in proportion to the severity of the clamping. In contrast, carotid pressures in both clamped groups were significantly higher than that in the controls. Proteinuria and hyperreninemia accompanied by arteriolar changes in the renal cortex were observed in the controls prior to the onset of CVL. The renal changes were inhibited by both types of clamping. The onset of CVL was delayed by the mild clamping in salt-loaded animals, but accelerated by the severe clamping in both the normal and salt-loaded animals. Renal cortical blood flow was decreased only by the severe clamping. The results suggest that reduction in RPP and/or renal ischemia, which seems to be due to the hypertensive arteriolar changes in the renal cortex, may be related to the pathogenesis of CVL in the stroke-prone rats with or without hyperreninemia.