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Norepinephrine release in arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Journal Article · · Clin. Exp. Hypertens.; (United States)

The role of the sympathetic nervous system in arterial hypertension cannot be properly evaluated until it is known about the activity in the vessels themselves. In this study researchers investigated the effect of transmural stimulation on the tail artery - labelled in vitro with /sup 3/H-norepinephrine - of 7-9 week old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar Kyoto controls (WKR). Electrical stimulation using two frequencies (2 and 10 Hz) resulted in significantly more /sup 3/H overflow in vessels from SHR than from WKR. With 10 Hz stimulation the fractional release was also greater. Column chromatographic analysis of /sup 3/H overflow revealed that transmural stimulation in arteries of SHR enhanced mainly the release of norepinephrine and not of its metabolites. Significantly, an increased release of /sup 3/H-norepinephrine on stimulation was observed in SHR before the full development of hypertension suggesting that it might be a cause rather than a consequence of high blood pressure.

Research Organization:
Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
OSTI ID:
6879196
Journal Information:
Clin. Exp. Hypertens.; (United States), Journal Name: Clin. Exp. Hypertens.; (United States) Vol. 4:3; ISSN CEHYD
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English