Adrenaline neurons and PNMT activity in the brain and spinal cord of genetically hypertensive rats and rats with DOCA--salt hypertension.
1. We have studied the number of phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT)-containing nerve cells in the medulla and the activity of PNMT in the medulla, spinal cord and hypothalamus of the rat. 2. At 4 weeks of age there was an increase in the number of PNMT cells counted in the medulla of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR; 21%, P less than 0.01) and the stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR-SP; 22%, P less than 0.01) compared with the Wistar--Kyoto (WKY) control rat. 3. At 4 months of age there were no significant differences in the number of medullary PNMT cells in two normotensive strains (WKY and Fisher rats), two genetically hypertensive strains (SHR and SHR-SP) and in DOCA--salt hypertensive rats. 4. In four week old rats the activity of PNMT was increased by about 50% in the spinal cord and medulla of the SHR and SHR-SP compared with the WKY rats, and immunotitration experiments suggest that this is due to an increased concentration of enzyme. 5. At 4 months of age there were no increases in PNMT activity of either genetically hypertensive rats or DOCA--salt hypertensive rats.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology; D010625:Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000201:enzymology*
D003900:Desoxycorticosterone; D010625:Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase; D004837:Epinephrine