Perivascular innervation of the cerebral arteries in spontaneously hypertensive rats--an immunohistochemical study.
Perivascular innervation in cerebral arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats and of normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats was studied. Adrenergic nerve fibers and neuropeptide Y-containing nerve fibers, indicative of vasoconstrictor nerves, were denser in all cerebral arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats than those of Wistar-Kyoto rats. In contrast, cholinergic nerve fibers and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, substance P-containing nerve fibers, indicative of vasodilator nerves, remained unchanged in all cerebral arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats, as compared with findings in the Wistar-Kyoto rats. Thus, not only adrenergic nerve fibers but also neuropeptide Y-containing nerve fibers may play an important role in preventing the disruption of the blood-brain barrier and the development of hypertensive encephalopathy in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
Kawamura
K
K
Second Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Japan.
Takebayashi
S
S
D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000294:innervation*; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D013373:Substance P / Q000032:analysis; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000032:analysis; D014661:Vasoconstriction; D014664:Vasodilation
D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D013373:Substance P; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide