Mechanics of large and small cerebral arteries in chronic hypertension

The goal of this study was to investigate factors that contribute to reductions in internal diameter of large and small cerebral arteries during chronic hypertension. We measured diameter of second- and third-order branches of the posterior cerebral artery in vitro during maximal dilation with EDTA in 6-mo-old stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP, n = 7) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY, n = 7). Cross-sectional area of the vessel wall, measured histologically, was not significantly different at 70 mmHg in SHRSP and WKY in large or small branches of posterior cerebral artery. In large branches of posterior cerebral artery, external and internal diameters were significantly less at 70 mmHg in SHRSP than in WKY, whereas external and internal diameters converged at 0 mmHg in the two groups of rats. In small branches, on the other hand, external and internal diameters were significantly less at all levels of intravascular pressure in SHRSP than in WKY. The stress-strain relation in posterior cerebral artery of SHRSP was shifted to the left in large branches and to the right in small branches, which indicates that distensibility was reduced in large cerebral arteries of SHRSP and increased in small cerebral arteries. These findings suggest that different mechanisms are responsible for impairment of maximal dilator capacity in large and small cerebral arteries of SHRSP: reduced distensibility in large arteries and remodeling with reduced external diameter in small arteries. Furthermore the findings provide additional support for the concept that hypertrophy may not be a primary factor in impaired maximal dilation.