Hypothalamic and plasma total nitrate/nitrite concentrations in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
Stable end-products of nitric oxide (NO) metabolism, nitrates and nitrites, were measured in hypothalamic extracts and plasma samples of Okamoto spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats. The mean total nitrate/nitrite concentration was significantly lower in the hypothalami of SH rats compared with the normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) control animals (P < 0.01). In contrast, their plasma concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.05). These results indicate that the hypertensive state in SH rats is associated with a diminished production of hypothalamic NO, while the raised plasma nitrate/nitrite levels could reflect an increased compensatory endothelial NO synthase activity in these animals compared with the WKY controls.
Alaghband-Zadeh
J
J
Department of Chemical Pathology, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London, UK.
Das
I
I
Hanson
M R
MR
MacGregor
C A
CA
de Wardener
H E
HE
Laycock
J F
JF
D000818:Animals; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009566:Nitrates / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY
D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites