Minerals in renal and SHR hypertensive rats

References to individual trace minerals in hypertensive rats have been made; however, data on multiple minerals in SHR hypertensive rats is lacking. The purpose of this study was to investigate five trace minerals in normotensive, chronic renal and SHR hypertensive rats. Blood samples were drawn to measure serum levels of Ca, Fe, K, Mg, and Na. Serum K values were elevated in the chronic renal hypertensive animals. Iron levels were decreased in both the renal and SHR hypertensive animals. No difference was observed in levels of Ca, Mg, and Na between normotensive and chronic renal or SHR hypertensive rats. Further study of multiple trace minerals in experimental hypertension is recorded in order to extend these deviations.     

Effect of the chronic administration of oxprenolol on the aortic wall of the normotensive and hypertensive rats

4 groups of male Wistar rats were studied: - normotensive control rats (4 animals) treated with s.c. water - normotensive rats (6 animals) treated with s.c. 5 mg/Kg Oxprenolol - hypertensive control rats (renal artery stenosis) (6 animals) treated with s.c. water - hypertensive rats (renal artery stenosis) (9 animals) treated with s.c. 5 mg/Kg Oxprenolol. The animals were treated and/or operated at six weeks of age and sacrificed at 12 weeks of age. Blood Pressure (BP), Heart Rate (HR), Ventricular Mass (VM) and Thickness of the Aortic Media (A Th) were determined. Oxprenolol did reduce HR but not BP in both normotensive and hypertensive rats: these animals showed a reduced A Th but not a reduced VM compared with untreated control rats. These results suggest a direct effect of Oxprenolol on A Th independently from BP values, but not on VM.     

Is there a link between salt-intake and atrial natriuretic peptide system during hypertension induced by nitric oxide blockade?

Long-term nitric oxide (NO) blockade is known to induce a severe and progressive hypertension. The influence of the salt-intake on atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) system in this hypertension model is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate ANP plasma levels, content and mRNA in atria of male Wistar rats chronically treated with oral Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) after 4 weeks of high-salt diet. The high-salt diet induced an increase (P < 0.05) in ANP plasma levels in normotensive rats and no significant changes in hypertensive animals. We observed a significant increase in the ANP content in the left and right atria of hypertensive rats (P < 0.001) when compared to normotensive ones. However, no significant changes were observed during high-salt diet in normotensive and hypertensive animals. Northern blot analysis revealed that ANP gene expression is higher in the right and left atria of hypertensive rats when compared to normotensive rats. However, we found no significant changes in ANP mRNA of rats treated with high-salt diet in normotensive and hypertensive rats when compared to low-salt diet. The present observations indicate no interaction between salt-intake and activation of the ANP system during chronic nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition.     

Hemodynamic effects of long-term converting-enzyme inhibition in renal hypertensive rats

The hemodynamic effects of a converting-enzyme inhibitor (CEI) given during 12 consecutive hours were studied in severe chronic renal hypertensive and normotensive Wistar rats. Hemodynamic parameters were obtained by thermodilution method in conscious unrestrained animals twenty-four hours after surgery. A bolus of CEI induced a significant decrease of mean arterial pressure (MAP) (from 192.2 +/- 8.2 to 163.3 +/- 5.9 mmHg, p less than 0.001) and total peripheral resistance (TPR) (from 7.69 +/- 0.53 to 5.83 +/- 0.33 mmHg.min/ml 100 g) in hypertensive animals. Cardiac index (CI) and heart rate increased significantly (p less than 0.05). Infusion of CEI to hypertensive animals during 12 consecutive hours produced a further progressive decrease in MAP and TPR (p less than 0.05) and an increase in CI (p less than 0.05). Heart rate did not change. Acute and prolonged infusions of CEI to normotensive group induced less but similar effect to those observed in hypertensive group. These results suggest that an increase of the renin-angiotensin system activity is the principal mechanism involved in the maintenance of high blood pressure during chronic phase of renal hypertension on the rats.     

The renin-angiotensin system in rats made hypertensive by ligation of the kidney poles (38584).

The renin-angiotensin system was studied in experimental renal hypertension produced by ligation of the poles of the left kidney followed by contralateral nephrectomy. Plasma renin concentration of renin substrate was lower and that of angiotensin I converting enzyme was higher in hypertensive animals. The juxtaglomerular index decreased in the medial zone of the kidney, while heavily granulated areas appeared in the poles. Ligated kidneys of rats that remained normotensive showed juxtaglomerular indices intermediate between the control and the hypertensive rats. Differences in renal renin content between the groups correspond to those for the juxtaglomerular index, but were smaller. No differences between the experimental groups were observed in iso-renin content in the brain; however in all animals with ligated kidney poles, hypertensive or normotensive, there was a tendency for iso-renin in the adrenals, left ventricular myocardium, and especially aorta to be lower than in controls.     

Role of the polarity protein Scribble for podocyte differentiation and maintenance

The kidney filter represents a unique assembly of podocyte epithelial cells that tightly enwrap the glomerular capillaries with their complex foot process network. While deficiency of the polarity proteins Crumbs and aPKC result in impaired podocyte foot process architecture, the function of basolateral polarity proteins for podocyte differentiation and maintenance remained unclear. Here we report, that Scribble is expressed in developing podocytes, where it translocates from the lateral aspects of immature podocytes to the basal cell membrane and foot processes of mature podocytes. Immunogold electron microscopy reveals membrane associated localisation of Scribble predominantly at the basolateral site of foot processes. To further study the role of Scribble for podocyte differentiation Scribble(flox/flox) mice were generated by introducing loxP-sites into the Scribble introns 1 and 8 and these mice were crossed to NPHS2.Cre mice and Cre deleter mice. Podocyte-specific Scribble knockout mice develop normally and display no histological, ultrastructural or clinical abnormalities up to 12 months of age. In addition, no increased susceptibility to glomerular stress could be detected in these mice. In contrast, constitutive Scribble knockout animals die during embryonic development indicating the fundamental importance of Scribble for embryogenesis. Like in podocyte-specific Scribble knockout mice, the development of podocyte foot processes and the slit diaphragm was unaffected in kidney cultures from constitutive Scribble knockout animals. In summary these results indicate that basolateral polarity signaling via Scribble is dispensable for podocyte function, highlighting the unique feature of podocyte development with its significant apical membrane expansions being dominated by apical polarity complexes rather than by basolateral polarity signaling.     

Adaptation of the heart to hypertension is associated with maladaptive gap junction connexin-43 remodeling

We hypothesized that hypertension-related myocardial remodeling characterized by hypertrophy and fibrosis might be accompanied by cell-to-cell gap junction alterations that may account for increased arrhythmogenesis. Intercellular junctions and expression of gap junction protein connexin-43 were analyzed in rat heart tissues from both spontaneous (SHR) and L-NAME model of hypertension. Isolated heart preparation was used to examine susceptibility of the heart to lethal ventricular fibrillation induced by low potassium perfusion. Ultrastructure observation revealed enhanced neoformation of side-to-side type while internalization of end-to-end type (intercalated disc-related) of gap junctions prevailed in the myocardium of rats suffering from either spontaneous or L-NAME-induced hypertension. In parallel, immunolabeling showed increased number of connexin-43 positive gap junctions in lateral cell membrane surfaces, particularly in SHR. Besides, focal loss of immunopositive signal was observed more frequently in hearts of rats treated with L-NAME. There was a significantly higher incidence of hypokalemia-induced ventricular fibrillation in hypertensive compared to normotensive rat hearts. We conclude that adaptation of the heart to hypertension-induced mechanical overload results in maladaptive gap junction remodeling that consequently promotes development of fatal arrhythmias.     

The lack of cardiac hypertrophy in newborn Prague hypertensive rats.

Newborn rats of four different strains with spontaneous hypertension show heart enlargement mainly due to cardiac hyperplasia. To determine whether this anomaly is common in all genetically hypertensive rats, we have compared newborns of Prague hypertensive rats (PHR) with their respective normotensive controls (PNR). The heart ventricles, kidneys and livers of newborn animals were analyzed for their weight, protein and DNA content. The total heart weight and the heart/body weight ratio were significantly lower in PHR than in PNR. On the other hand, there were no differences in total or relative kidney weight and in total liver weight. The relative protein content was significantly lower in kidney and liver of PHR but there were no differences between hypertensive and normotensive animals in relative DNA content of all organs studied. Our results suggest a possible dissociation of genes which determine organ weights from those responsible for blood pressure determination.     

Cardiac function of the diabetic renovascular hypertensive rat: effects of insulin and thyroid hormone treatment

The influences of hypertension and hypothyroidism on diabetic cardiomyopathy are not clear. We studied this problem further by characterizing the effects of chronic triiodothyronine (T3) treatment on cardiac performance of diabetic renovascular hypertensive (RVH) rats. Hypertension was effected by clipping the left renal artery of Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, and diabetes was induced 2 weeks later by streptozotocin (STZ; 55 mg/kg i.v.). The WKY strain was selected because it is relatively resistant to the cardiodepressant effects of diabetes, so that the influence of superimposed hypertension would be more apparent. Performance of working Krebs-Henseleit buffer perfused hearts was quantified by measuring left ventricular pressure and flow characteristics. The results showed that renovascular clipping caused a marked hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) but had no effect on perfused heart performance after 10 weeks. They also showed that diabetes during the final 8 weeks (i) caused a marked impairment in the performance of perfused hearts ex vivo of hypertensive rats but had no measurable effect in the normotensive WKY, (ii) had no effect on arterial pressure of either the normotensive or the hypertensive rats but reduced heart rate of hypertensive animals in vivo, and (iii) caused equivalent hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia, and hypothyroidism (depressed serum T3 and T4 levels) of hypertensive and normotensive rats. Treatment of diabetic RVH rats with T3 (10 micrograms.kg-1.day-1) in vivo was nearly as effective as insulin therapy (10 U.kg-1.day-1) in preventing the cardiac dysfunction ex vivo and was as effective as insulin therapy in preventing the bradycardia in vivo and the decline loss.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Reduced connexin-43 expression in the aorta of prehypertensive rats

Genetic component represents an important factor in the development of hypertension, which is known to be associated with changes in expression of vascular gap junction protein connexin 43 (Cx43). The aim of the study was to examine the distribution and expression of Cx43 in the aortic endothelium of adult normotensive Wistar rats (W), borderline hypertensive rats (BHR) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Rings of the thoracic aorta were processed for immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis of endothelial Cx43 and for electron microscopy. Both, BHR and SHR exhibited significantly increased blood pressure vs. W (132+/-2 mm Hg and 185+/-3 mm Hg vs. 110+/-2 mm Hg). Reduced Cx43 immunofluorescence was observed in the endothelium of BHR and these alterations were more pronounced in SHR. Western blot analysis showed significant suppression of Cx43 expression in the aorta of both BHR (p<0.05) and SHR (p<0.001) vs. W. Electron microscopy revealed local subcellular alterations of interendothelial connections in BHR including extended tight junctions. These alterations were more frequent and marked in SHR. The results indicate that connexin 43 expression is reduced in the aortic endothelium already in prehypertensive period, which may affect cell-to-cell communication and thus participate in acceleration of hypertensive disease.     

Factors affecting the development of isolation-induced hypertension in rats

Rats were housed either individually in separate metabolic cages or in pairs in two connecting metabolic cages and systolic blood pressure was measured before and after a 5 day period over which the animals were left undisturbed. After the 5 day period isolated rats were hypertensive whereas paired rats were not. A further study compared the Na+, K+ and water balances of pairs of normotensive rats with those of isolated rats over the 5 days during which the latter became hypertensive. There was no evidence of any renal Na+ and water retention in isolated, hypertensive rats and thus it is unlikely that mineralocorticoids could have caused a plasma volume expansion and thereby contributed to the hypertension.     

Chronic effect of prazosin and yohimbine on the renal epinephrine content of DOCA-sodium and SHR-hypertensive rats

The chronic effect of two alpha-adrenergic receptor blockers, prazosin and yohimbine, on the renal noradrenaline (NA) content was investigated in two models of hypertensive rats, the DOCA-salt and the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In DOCA-salt rats an inversal relation exists between the level of blood pressure and renal NA content in all groups studied, except those treated with yohimbine and prazosin plus yohimbine. In SHR rats a decreased renal NA content has been detected with respect to their normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat controls. The administration of prazosin and/or yohimbine did not alter the renal NA content of the SHR rats, while on the contrary these agents produced an elevation of these levels in kidneys from normotensive WKY rats. These results suggest that the alpha-selective blocker agents used, demonstrate a different effect on the renal NA content in the two models of hypertension studied.     

Effect of dl-propranolol and l-and d-alprenolol on arterial pressure in awake or anesthesized, normo- or hypertensive rats]

Intravenous administration of dl-propranolol, l-and d-alprénolol in normotensive and spontaneous, renal or neurogen hypertensive rats induced decrease of blood pressure in anaesthetized animals. In awake animals hypotensive activity was irregular and lower.     

Norepinephrine turnover in the heart and blood vessels of rats subjected to bilateral renal infarction

The total norepinephrine (NE) content, the uptake of [3H]NE, the turnover rate and the synthesis rate of the neurotransmitter at the heart and blood vessels have been studied during the development of hypertension in rats subjected to bilateral renal infarction. Normal and sham-operated rats were used as controls. Fifty percent of the rats with renal infarction became hypertensive. The weight of the hearts and blood vessels of the experimental animals was significantly increased 15 days after renal infarction. Changes were greater in hypertensive animals. NE concentration in the heart was slightly decreased without achieving statistical significance, while total NE content was unchanged. In the artery wall NE concentration was significantly decreased in normotensive and hypertensive operated rats. [3H]NE uptake in the heart and blood vessels was similar in experimental and control animals. In relation to NE turnover, in both the heart and blood vessels, normal and sham-operated animals behaved as one population while normotensive and hypertensive rats behaved as another population. The rate constant of NE turnover was increased in both tissues of operated experimental animals without achieving statistical significance in the case of the heart. NE synthesis rate was unchanged in the cardiac muscle but was significantly increased in the blood vessels of operated animals. Present data indicate that results describing NE dynamics in the heart cannot be extrapolated for the blood vessels level; on the other hand changes in the neurotransmitter do not seem to be related to the development of high blood pressure after renal infarction in the rat.     

Pathological correlations between podocyte injuries and renal functions in canine and feline chronic kidney diseases

Podocytes cover the glomerulus and their adjacent foot processes form a principal barrier called the slit diaphragm. Podocyte dysfunctions, including podocyte loss and slit diaphragm disruptions, induce chronic kidney diseases (CKD). In this study, we analyzed the correlations between podocyte injuries and renal dysfunctions in domestic carnivores. Dogs and cats were divided into normal and CKD groups according to renal histopathology and plasma creatinine values. Immunostaining results showed that linear reactions of slit diaphragm molecules, e.g., nephrin, podocin, and ACTN4, were parallel to glomerular capillaries in all animals. However, in dogs, reactions of nephrin and ACTN4 were changed to a granular pattern in the CKD group, and their intensities significantly decreased with the number of podocytes in the glomerulus. Moreover, the expression of nephrin and ACTN4 negatively correlated with creatinine. Real-time PCR analysis showed that nephrin mRNA expression in the kidneys of CKD dogs was significantly lower than that in normal animals, and negatively correlated with creatinine. Although no significant correlation between renal dysfunction and podocyte injury was detected in cats, histoplanimetric scores of tubulointerstitial lesions in CKD cats were higher than those in both normal cats and diseased dogs. Furthermore, mRNAs of WT1 and SD molecules were detected in urine from CKD animals. In conclusion, podocyte injuries such as podocytopenia and decreased expression of nephrin and ACTN4 in the glomerulus were more strongly correlated with renal dysfunction in dogs than in cats. These findings suggest that the CKD pathogenesis, especially susceptibilities to podocyte injuries, differed between dogs and cats.     

Passive transfer of pressor hyperresponsiveness from renal-hypertensive to normotensive rats

The role of serum factors in the pathogenesis of pressor hyperresponsiveness in hypertension was investigated by the passive transfer of serum from donor rats with chronic one-kidney, one clip hypertension into syngeneic normotensive recipient rats (0.25 ml iv, bid) for 3 weeks. Rats injected twice daily with the serum of normotensive rats served as controls. In rats injected with the serum of hypertensive rats there was a gradual increase in pressor responses to norepinephrine and angiotensin II and, at the end of the study, increased water content of the aorta and sodium content of the myocardium. In volume-expanded renal hypertension unidentified serum factors contribute to pressor hyperresponsiveness and increased sodium content of cardiovascular tissue.     

Combined effects of hypertension and conditioning on coronary vascular reserve in rats

To evaluate the combined effects of cardiac overload imposed by hypertension and chronic swim training on coronary vascularity, female rats were made hypertensive by unilateral renal artery stenoses and were exercised in an 8- to 10-wk swimming program. Maximal coronary flow was assessed in isolated retrograde buffer-perfused hearts under conditions of minimal coronary resistance (15 microM adenosine or anoxia). Sedentary normotensive animals, sedentary hypertensive animals, and normotensive animals exposed to a swimming program were also studied. Swimming was associated with an 18% increase in heart weight and with increases in both absolute (ml/min) and relative (ml X g-1 X min-1) maximal coronary flow. Hypertension was associated with a 32% increase in heart weight but with a decrease in absolute and relative coronary flow compared with controls. The combined stimuli resulted in a 63% myocardial hypertrophy and a 19% increase in absolute flow. Relative coronary flow (g tissue-1) was similar in hearts from hypertensive sedentary animals and hypertensive swimmers. These data indicate that the coronary vascular deficit that accompanies the cardiac hypertrophy of hypertension is not worsened by the superimposition of an exercise load that exaggerates the hypertrophy.     

Sex differences in connexin-43 expression in left ventricles of aging rats

Cardiac gap junctions have been implicated in maintaining intercellular electrical and metabolic couplings. The abnormalities in connexin-43 (Cx43) lead to conduction defects and contractile dysfunction. We have evaluated the expression and phoshorylation status of Cx43 in the left ventricular myocardium of male and female 16-month-old rats submitted to 14-week L-thyroxine (T4) treatment. Western blot analysis revealed the presence of fully or intermediately phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of Cx43. We have found no significant differences in Cx43 expression and phosphorylation between T4-treated and control untreated animals. However, expression of Cx43 was significantly higher in female compared to male rats. We conclude that T4 administration has no effect on Cx43 expression, but there are sex-dependent differences in Cx43 expression in the left ventricles between aging male and female rats.     

Phosphate overload induces podocyte injury via type III Na-dependent phosphate transporter

Uptake of P(i) at the cellular membrane is essential for the maintenance of cell viability. However, phosphate overload is also stressful for cells and can result in cellular damage. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the transgenic overexpression of type III P(i) transporter Pit-1 to explore the role of extracellular P(i) in glomerular sclerosis during chronic renal disease. Pit-1 transgenic (TG) rats showed progressive proteinuria associated with hypoalbuminemia and dyslipidemia. Ultrastructural analysis of TG rat kidney by transmission electron microscopy showed a diffuse effacement of the foot processes of podocytes and a thickening of the glomerular basement membrane, which were progressively exhibited since 8 wk after birth. TG rats died at 32 wk of age due to cachexia. At this time, more thickening of the glomerular basement membrane and segmental sclerosis were observed in glomeruli of the TG rats. Immunohistochemical examination using anti-connexin 43 and anti-desmin antibodies suggested the progressive injury of podocytes in TG rats. TG rats showed higher P(i) uptake in podocytes than wild-type rats, especially under low P(i) concentration. When 8-wk-old wild-type and TG rats were fed a 0.6% normal phosphate (NP) or 1.2% phosphate (HP) diet for 12 wk, HP diet-treated TG rats showed more progressive proteinuria and higher serum creatinine levels than NP diet-treated TG rats. In conclusion, our findings suggest that overexpression of Pit-1 in rats induces phosphate-dependent podocyte injury and damage to the glomerular barrier, which result in the progression of glomerular sclerosis in the kidney.     

Role of atrial natriuretic factor in regulation of blood pressure in normotensive rats having reduced renal mass

Experiments were carried out in normotensive, saline-drinking, 60% reduced renal mass rats to determine the effect of an in vivo blockade of endogenous atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) on blood pressure. We used a 60% reduction in renal mass because blood pressure in these normotensive animals is extremely sensitive to any slight further reduction of renal excretory function. Six weeks following the reduction of renal mass and documentation of normotension, rats were injected intraperitoneally twice daily for 12 days with ANF antibody prepared against the C-terminal heptapeptide of AP III conjugated to bovine thyroglobulin. Control rats similarly prepared, received normal rabbit serum (NRS). Blood pressure progressively increased in rats receiving the antibody, and its withdrawal returned blood pressure to control levels within 4-5 days. Serum from either normal rabbits or rabbits immunized with bovine thyroglobulin or peptides unrelated to ANF had no effect on blood pressure in the control animals. These experiments show that in the normotensive saline-drinking rat with reduced renal mass, an antibody to AP III raises blood pressure. This suggests that ANF here is acting to prevent the rise in blood pressure.