Gastric mucosal blood flow in relation to stress-induced hypercontraction in spontaneously hypertensive rats

The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is a widely used animal model for essential hypertension, and is less susceptible to cold restraint stress in gastric ulcer formation. We previously reported that acid secretion is low in SHR due to sympathetic facilitation compared with normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the autonomic nervous function and the gastric mucosal blood flow related to gastric motility during cold restraint stress in SHR. Male SHR and WKY, 24-28 weeks old, were used in this study. Noradrenergic innervation, noradrenaline and dopamine contents in the muscle layer were significantly greater in SHR than in WKY, and tissue choline acetyltransferase activity was significantly lower in SHR. Gastric motility was markedly enhanced by cold restraint stress in WKY. By contrast, SHR maintained the rhythmic and low amplitude contractions regardless of hypothermia. Mucosal blood flow decreased markedly during hypothermia in WKY but was well sustained in SHR. In conclusion, the increase in gastric motility associated with cold restraint stress was suppressed in SHR by sympathetic facilitation in the muscle layer, and this may have contributed to the prevention of ulcer formation by maintaining mucosal blood flow in SHR.