Gastric vascular network in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats

The gastric vascular architecture in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) was studied three-dimensionally by vascular casting; controls were Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). The vascular network of the gastric mucosa of WKY showed a cylindrical shape with regular morphology (honeycomb-like capillary network) along the vascular course. In contrast, in SHRSP, an irregular vascular network was formed, and arterioles in the gastric mucosa and serous membrane were difficult to detect. Aneurysms were also detected in some capillaries in SHRSP. We concluded that the development of hypertension may have caused the irregular capillary networks in the rat stomach.