[Study on hsp 70 gene level in cultured smooth muscle cells and aorta from SHR and WKY rats]

Using nucleic hybridization, we investigated hsp 70 gene level on: 1. aorta on spontaneous hypertension rats (SHR); 2. cultured SHR and WKY smooth muscle cells (SMCs) induced by heat shock; 3. cultured SHR and WKY SMCs in 6 weeks and 3 months. The results indicated that hsp 70 mRNA increased in aorta of SHR (6 weeks), in cultured SHR SMCs as compared with WKY SMCs induced by heat shock (42 degrees C, 15 minutes), and in cultured SHR SMCs (6 weeks) as compared with WKY SMCs (6 weeks). Meanwhile, hsp 70 mRNA of cultured SHR SMCs in 6 weeks was higher than that in 3 months. We postulated that overexpression of hsp 70 of cultured SMCs and aorta of SHR in 6 weeks might be related with cellular proliferation during the development of hypertension and that the cultured SHR SMCs might be sensitive to heat shock.