Biomedical subjects

J M Wyss

Publications and source records attributed to J M Wyss.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1991

Dietary Ca2+ prevents NaCl-sensitive hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats via sympatholytic and renal effects.

NaCl-sensitive spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-S) were used to test the hypotheses that dietary Ca2+ supplementation 1) prevents NaCl-sensitive hypertension via a sympatholytic mechanism, and 2) increases diuretic and natriuretic responses to acute volume loading. SHR-S and control WKY rats were begun on one of four diets at age 8 wk: control, high NaCl, high Ca2+, or high NaCl and high Ca2+. In SHR-S, dietary Ca2+ supplementation prevented the NaCl-induced increases in blood pressure and plasma norepinephrine concentrations, the reductions in anterior hypothalamic norepinephrine stores and turnover, and the secondary increases in alpha 2 adrenoceptor number. Thus, Ca2+ prevented NaCl-sensitive hypertension in SHR-S by increasing noradrenergic input to the anterior hypothalamus. High-NaCl-fed SHR-S had impaired diuretic and natriuretic responses to an isotonic volume load; Ca2+ enhanced the ability of these animals to adjust fluid volume rapidly via diuresis and natriuresis. This alteration in renal function may contribute to the hypotensive effect of a high Ca2+ diet in NaCl-sensitive hypertension.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Altered stores of atrial natriuretic peptide in specific brain nuclei of NaCl-sensitive spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Previous studies from our laboratories have demonstrated a selective increase in stores of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in the anterior hypothalamus of NaCl-sensitive spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-S) compared to NaCl-resistant Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) controls and have suggested that anterior hypothalamic ANP contributes to the pathogenesis of NaCl-sensitive hypertension in SHR-S by local inhibition of norepinephrine release. We have also observed blunting of cardiopulmonary and arterial baroreflex function in SHR-S compared to WKY. In the current study, ANP stores in 12 brain nuclei thought to participate in the pathogenesis of hypertension, including locus coeruleus (LC), A1/C1 area (A1/C1), nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS), medial preoptic nucleus (MPON), suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), supraoptic nucleus (SON), anterior hypothalamic area (AHA), paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMN), dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMN), lateral hypothalamic nucleus (LN), and posterior hypothalamic area (PHA), were compared in 10-week-old male SHR-S and WKY rats following 3 weeks of 1% v 8% NaCl feeding. Individual brain nuclei were obtained by the micropunch technique and ANP content of bilateral brain nuclei from individual rats was measured by radioimmunoassay. ANP content was significantly decreased in NTS and LC and elevated in AHA of SHR-S compared to WKY rats on either diet. Dietary NaCl supplementation was associated with increased ANP content in PVN of both strains. These alterations in ANP content in SHR-S may be related to the reduced release of norepinephrine from nerve terminals in AHA and to the presumed central defect in baroreceptor function.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1991

High-NaCl diets increase natriuretic and diuretic responses in salt-resistant but not salt-sensitive SHR.

This study tested the hypothesis that NaCl-sensitive spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-S) display a defect in natriuretic and diuretic responses to acute volume loading that contributes to the rise in arterial pressure observed when the rats are fed a high-NaCl diet. Seven-week-old SHR-S and NaCl-resistant SHR rats (SHR-R) and normotensive (Wistar-Kyoto and Sprague-Dawley rats) were fed high- or basal NaCl diets. After 2.5 wk on the diets, preinstrumented conscious rats received an intravenous infusion (5% body wt; 0.5 ml/min) of isotonic saline, and urine was collected through a bladder catheter for 90 min. Control rats on the high-NaCl diet (compared with basal) excreted a significantly greater percentage of Na+ and volume load. In contrast, SHR-S on high-NaCl diet (compared with basal) had a very small increase in natriuretic response and no increase in diuretic response to volume expansion. The effect of renal denervation on natriuretic and diuretic responses to volume load was tested. In SHR-R on 1 and 8% NaCl diets, renal denervation had little or no effect on these responses, suggesting that renal nerves do not play a prominent role in the dietary NaCl-induced increases in the natriuretic and diuretic responses to volume load. These results demonstrate that NaCl-resistant rats rapidly adapt to diets high in NaCl content with increased natriuretic and diuretic responses to acute volume loading. The failure of SHR-S to adapt to the dietary challenge may result in volume loading and a secondary increase in arterial pressure after feeding.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

High NaCl diet enhances arterial baroreceptor reflex in NaCl-sensitive spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that arterial baroreceptor reflex control of lumbar sympathetic nerve activity is blunted in the NaCl-sensitive spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR-S) compared with either the NaCl-resistant spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR-R) or the normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat. In the current study, the effect of dietary NaCl supplementation on arterial baroreceptor reflex control of lumbar sympathetic nerve activity and heart rate was assessed in SHR-S and control SHR-R and WKY rats. Male SHR-S, SHR-R, and WKY rats were fed diets containing either 1% or 8% NaCl beginning at 7 weeks of age and were studied at age 9-10 weeks. Arterial baroreceptor reflex-mediated changes in lumbar sympathetic nerve activity and heart rate were recorded in conscious, unrestrained rats during phenylephrine-induced (15-40 micrograms/kg/min) and nitroprusside-induced (15-300 micrograms/kg/min) changes in mean arterial pressure. SHR-S maintained on a 1% NaCl diet had blunted baroreceptor reflex control of lumbar sympathetic nerve activity during acute increases in MAP compared with SHR-R and WKY rats (p less than 0.05). After ingestion of the 8% NaCl diet, this blunting was absent, indicating enhancement of baroreceptor reflex control of lumbar sympathetic nerve activity. SHR-S maintained on a 1% NaCl diet also had blunted arterial baroreceptor control of lumbar sympathetic nerve activity during nitroprusside-induced decreases in mean arterial pressure compared with WKY rats, but this was not significantly altered during ingestion of the 8% NaCl diet.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Intrahypothalamic clonidine infusion prevents NaCl-sensitive hypertension.

We have previously shown that dietary NaCl supplementation increases blood pressure and sympathetic nervous system activity in association with decreased norepinephrine release and increased alpha 2-adrenergic receptor number in the anterior hypothalamic area of salt-sensitive spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-S) but not in salt-resistant spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-R) or Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Further, acute microinjection of clonidine into the anterior hypothalamic area produced depressor responses that were augmented by high salt feeding in SHR-S but not in SHR-R or WKY rats. The current study tested the hypothesis that chronic infusion of clonidine into the anterior hypothalamic area prevents salt-sensitive hypertension in SHR-S. Beginning at age 7 weeks, immediately before initiation of 1% or 8% salt diets, clonidine (2 ng/min) or saline vehicle was infused into the anterior hypothalamic area or femoral vein of male SHR-S via osmotic minipump for 20 days. In SHR-S fed an 8% salt diet, chronic microinfusion of clonidine into the anterior hypothalamic area offset the hypertensive effect of the dietary salt supplementation and reduced the enhancing effects of dietary salt on left ventricular weight and plasma norepinephrine levels. In contrast, chronic microinfusion of clonidine into the anterior hypothalamic area did not significantly affect any of these measures in 1% salt-fed SHR-S. Intravenous infusion of clonidine at the rate used for the anterior hypothalamic area infusion did not alter any of these measures in 8% salt-fed SHR-S.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1991

Alterations in vasopressin mechanisms in captopril-treated spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The effects of lifetime captopril treatment on vasopressin (VP) were assessed in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Pregnant and nursing dams were treated with oral Captopril (100 mg/kg/day). After weaning, the pups were maintained on Captopril (50/kg/day) for 19-20 wks. Blood pressures of Captopril-treated SHR were in the normotensive range and significantly lower (p less than .001) than SHR control rats. Control and Captopril-treated SHR were perfused and brains were sectioned for immunohistochemical staining with a polyclonal antibody directed against vasopressin (VP). Compared to control SHR, Captopril-treated rats displayed decreased VP-like immunoreactivity in the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei of the hypothalamus. Captopril treatment also selectively decreased the number of brightly labeled cell bodies in the SON and PVN and reduced VP-like labeling in the axons of the neurons in these nuclei. Concurrent with a decrease in VP-like immunoreactivity, Captopril treatment reduced plasma VP levels (RIA) (p less than 0.01, Captopril, 5.6 +/- 0.5 pg/ml; control, 11.8 +/- 2.2 pg/ml). Scatchard analysis of 3H-VP binding indicated that Captopril treatment increased the number but not the affinity of VP receptors in the hypothalamus and brain stem of SHR. These results suggest that in SHR oral Captopril treatment attenuates the synthesis and release of VP, an effect that may contribute to the blood pressure lowering effect of converting enzyme inhibitors.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Effects of simultaneous diabetes and hypertension in an insulin dependent diabetic model.

Several lines of evidence suggest that hypertension is a contributing factor to diabetic nephropathy, a major cause of mortality in diabetes mellitus patients. The present study tested the hypotheses (1) that insulin dependent diabetes (IDD) causes hypertension, and (2) that simultaneous hypertension and IDD causes greater renal damage than would be expected from the independent contributions of each disease. IDD was induced by injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg i.p.) into male Wistar rats, causing severe hyperglycaemia within 4 days. Seven days after the STZ treatment, hypertension was initiated by subcutaneous implantation of deoxycorticosterone acetate and administration of 1% saline in the drinking water (DOCA-NaCl). IDD rats not receiving DOCA-NaCl displayed a small elevation of blood pressure one week after STZ treatment, but thereafter displayed significant hypotension. The IDD rats receiving DOCA-NaCl displayed elevated systolic arterial pressure throughout the study, but by the end of the experiment, their mean systolic arterial pressure was significantly lower than that of the rats treated with DOCA-NaCl alone. Only the IDD/DOCA-NaCl rats displayed significant signs of renal dysfunction, i.e. greatly increased proteinuria and morphological renal damage, including marked distension of distal tubules and occasional casts. No other group displayed these abnormalities.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Extrinsic projections from area CA1 of the rat hippocampus: olfactory, cortical, subcortical, and bilateral hippocampal formation projections.

Hippocampal area CA1 provides the major cortical output of the hippocampus, but only its projections to the subiculum and lateral septal nucleus are well characterized. The present study reexamines these extrinsic projections by using anterograde and retrograde tracing techniques. Injections of the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) in the septal one-third of CA1 label axons and terminals in subicular, postsubicular, retrosplenial, perirhinal, and entorhinal cortices, lateral septal nucleus, and diagonal band of Broca. The septal CA1 injections also label terminal fields in contralateral CA1, and in contralateral subicular, postsubicular, perirhinal, and entorhinal cortices. Injections into the splenial one-third of CA1 label axons and terminals in subiculum, postsubiculum, ventral area infraradiata, and lateral septal nucleus, but they do not label axons and terminals on the contralateral side of the brain. Injections in the temporal one-third of CA1 label axons and terminals in subicular, parasubicular, entorhinal, and infraradiata cortices, anterior olfactory nucleus, olfactory bulb, lateral septal nucleus, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, and hypothalamus. The temporal CA1 injections label no axons on the contralateral side of the brain. These data demonstrate that CA1 has more widespread projections than previously appreciated, and they provide the first clear evidence that CA1 projects to the contralateral cortex and to the ipsilateral olfactory bulb, amygdala, and hypothalamus. The results also demonstrate a heterogeneity in the efferent projections originating in different septotemporal levels of CA1.

Afferent Pathways↗

PubMed1990

Connections of the retrosplenial granular a cortex in the rat.

Although the retrosplenial granular a cortex (Rga) is situated in a critical position between the hippocampal formation and the neocortex, few studies have examined its connections. The present experiments use both retrograde and anterograde tracing techniques to characterize the afferent and efferent connections of Rga. Cortical projections to Rga originate in the ipsilateral area infraradiata, the retrosplenial agranular and granular b cortices, the ventral subiculum, and the contralateral Rga. Subcortical projections originate in the claustrum, the diagonal band of Broca, the thalamus, the midbrain raphe nuclei, and the locus coeruleus. The thalamic projections to Rga originate mainly in the anterodorsal (AD) and laterodorsal (LD) nuclei with sparse projections arising in the anteroventral (AV) and reuniens nuclei. Each projection to Rga terminates in distinct layers of the cortex. The thalamic projection from AD terminates primarily in layers I, III, and IV of Rga, whereas the axons arising from the LD nucleus have a dense terminal plexus only in layer 1. The projections arising from the subiculum end predominantly in layer II, whereas the postsubiculum projects to layers I and III-V. Axons from the contralateral Rga form a dense terminal plexus in layers IV and V, with a smaller number of terminals in layers I and VI. Rga projects ipsilaterally to the AV and LD nuclei of the thalamus and to the anterior cingulate, retrosplenial agranular,a and postsubicular cortices. Contralaterally it projects to the retrosplenial agranular and Rga cortices. Rga projections to the thalamus terminate ipsilaterally in the dorsal part of LD and bilaterally in AV. Together, these data suggest that Rga integrates thalamic with limbic information.

Afferent Pathways↗

PubMed1990

The postsubicular cortex in the rat: characterization of the fourth region of the subicular cortex and its connections.

The hippocampal formation contributes importantly to many cognitive functions, and therefore has been a focus of intense anatomical and physiological research. Most of this research has focused on the hippocampus proper and the fascia dentata, and much less attention has been given to the subicular cortex, the origin of most extrinsic projections from the hippocampal formation. The present experiments demonstrate that the postsubiculum is a distinct area of the subicular cortex. The major projections to the postsubiculum originate in the hippocampal formation, the cingulate cortex, and the thalamus (primarily from the anterodorsal (AD) nucleus and to a lesser extent from the anteroventral (AV) and lateral dorsal (LD) nuclei). These projections differ from the thalamic projections to presubiculum and parasubiculum. Efferent projections from the postsubiculum terminate in both cortical and subcortical areas. The cortical projections terminate in the subicular and retrosplenial cortices and in the caudal lateral entorhinal and perirhinal cortices. Subcortical projections primarily end in the AD and the LD nuclei of the thalamus. These thalamic projections end in areas that are distinct from those to which the presubiculum and parasubiculum project. For instance, the postsubiculum has a dense terminal field in the AD nucleus, but presubicular axons terminate predominantly in the AV nucleus. The cortical projections also distinguish postsubiculum. All subicular areas project to the entorhinal cortex, but the postsubicular projection ends in the deep layers (i.e. IV-VI), whereas presubiculum projects to layers I and III, and parasubiculum projects to layer II. Postsubiculum projects to retrosplenial granular b cortex and only incidentally to retrosplenial granular a cortex. In contrast presubiculum projects to the retrosplenial granular a cortex but not to the retrosplenial granular b cortex. These differences clearly mark the postsubiculum, the presubiculum, and the parasubiculum as distinct regions within the subicular cortex and suggest that they subserve different roles in the processing and integration of limbic system information.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

The connections of presubiculum and parasubiculum in the rat.

The present study describes the differences and similarities between the connections of the presubiculum and parasubiculum based on retrograde and anterograde tracing experiments. The results demonstrate that both areas have several similar afferent connections, particularly those from subcortical areas such as the claustrum, diagonal band of Broca, anterior thalamus, nucleus reuniens, locus coeruleus, and raphe nuclei. Both subicular areas also are innervated by axons originating in the ipsilateral and contralateral entorhinal cortex, presubiculum, and parasubiculum. In contrast to these similarities, most axons innervating the presubiculum originate in the lateral dorsal thalamic nucleus, the claustrum, and the contralateral presubiculum. Conversely, the parasubiculum is innervated primarily by axons that originate in area CA1 of the hippocampus, the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala, and the contralateral presubiculum and parasubiculum. The major efferent projection from the presubiculum and parasubiculum courses bilaterally to the medial entorhinal cortex; however, the results of the present study confirm previous suggestions that presubicular axons terminate almost exclusively in layers I and III, whereas parasubicular axons innervate layer II. The presubiculum also projects to the anteroventral and laterodorsal nuclei of the thalamus, and the lateral ventral portion of the medial mammillary nucleus, whereas the parasubiculum projects prominently to the anterodorsal nucleus of the thalamus, the contralateral presubiculum and parasubiculum, and the lateral dorsal segment of the medial mammillary nucleus. Thus despite some similarities, the major connections of presubiculum and parasubiculum are distinct from one another and distinct from the projections of the adjacent subiculum and postsubiculum. These results suggest that the subicular cortex is considerably more complex than previously envisioned and indicate that each segment may subserve a distinct role in the processing of information by the hippocampal formation.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

PubMed1990

Dendritic bundling in layer I of granular retrosplenial cortex: intracellular labeling and selectivity of innervation.

The extrinsic projections to and from the retrosplenial cortex have been studied in detail, but the intrinsic circuitry within this region has been characterized less completely. To further define the internal connections, small injections of the retrograde, fluorescent tracer Fluorogold were made into the retrosplenial cortex of the rat. These injections label neurons in layers II-V of the contralateral homotopic cortex. In layers III-V, the labeled neurons are present over an area much larger than the injection site, but in layer II neurons are labeled in a very precise homotopic pattern. Following these injections, only the neurons in layer II display heavily labeled apical dendrites, and these labeled dendrites form tight bundles in layer Ic and Ib of the cortex and spread out in layer Ia. An examination of Golgi-stained material demonstrates that most of the neurons in layer II are small pyramidal cells with 2-3 small basal dendrites and a single, large apical dendrite that arborizes extensively in layer Ia. To verify the structure of the layer II neurons, they were intracellularly filled with Lucifer yellow. Examination of these labeled cells confirms the observations from the Golgi-stained material and demonstrates that many apical dendrites of the layer II cells angle acutely, apparently to join a bundle and/or avoid an interbundle space. Tract tracing experiments demonstrate that the anteroventral nucleus of the thalamus appears to project selectively to the region containing the dendritic bundles, whereas intracortical projections appear to terminate in layers Ib and Ic in the 30-200 microns spaces between the bundles. Furthermore, the areas containing the bundles display dense AChE staining, but the interbundle spaces are almost free of AChE staining. These findings demonstrate a form of dendritic bundling that is input and output specific and may play an important role in the regulation of thalamic inputs to the cingulate cortex.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Changes in cerebrospinal fluid Na+ concentration do not underlie hypertensive responses to dietary NaCl in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

This study tests the hypothesis that dietary NaCl loading increases cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Na+ concentration in NaCl-sensitive spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-S), resulting in an increase in arterial pressure. The high NaCl diet caused a significant rise in systolic arterial pressure in SHR-S but not in normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. In contrast, the high NaCl diet caused a transient rise in CSF Na+ that was similar in amplitude in SHR-S and WKY. A second experiment demonstrated that in SHR-S, concomitant dietary Ca2+ supplementation attenuated the dietary NaCl-induced exacerbation of hypertension, but did not alter the transient increase in CSF Na+ concentration. Together, these results indicate that alterations in CSF Na+ concentration do not contribute to the increase in arterial pressure induced by a high NaCl diet in SHR-S.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Lesions of the anterior hypothalamic area increase arterial pressure in NaCl-sensitive spontaneously hypertensive rats.

In NaCl-sensitive spontaneously hypertensive rats, diets high in NaCl increase arterial pressure and peripheral sympathetic nervous system activity and decrease the sympatho-inhibition mediated by the anterior hypothalamic area. To test the importance of the defect in anterior hypothalamic area-mediated sympatho-inhibition in the pathogenesis of NaCl-sensitive hypertension, bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of the anterior hypothalamic area were made in NaCl-sensitive spontaneous hypertensive rats, in NaCl-resistant spontaneously hypertensive rats and in normotensive, NaCl-resistant Wistar Kyoto rats. In NaCl-sensitive spontaneous hypertensive rats on a basal NaCl diet, the anterior hypothalamic area lesions caused a rapid rise in arterial pressure within the first week after surgery; by 21 days after surgery, mean systolic arterial pressure of the lesion group was 24 mmHg higher than that of the sham-operated group. In a second experiment, NaCl-sensitive spontaneous hypertensive rats were placed on an 8% NaCl diet 1 day after the lesion of the anterior hypothalamic area. 5 days after the operation, the lesion group of NaCl-sensitive spontaneous hypertensive rats on the 8% NaCl diet had a significantly higher arterial pressure than the sham-operated group, but by 1 week after the lesion, arterial pressures were not significantly different between the lesion and sham-operated NaCl-sensitive spontaneous hypertensive rats on the high NaCl diet. In Wistar Kyoto rats on a basal NaCl diet, lesions of the anterior hypothalamic area resulted in a small, transient elevation of arterial pressure, but no sustained effect. In NaCl-resistant spontaneous hypertensive rats, the anterior hypothalamic area lesions did not affect arterial pressure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Dopamine D2 receptors in the posterior region of the nucleus tractus solitarius mediate the central pressor action of quinpirole (LY171555).

Our previous studies demonstrated that intravenous (IV) administration of the selective dopamine (DA) D2 receptor agonist quinpirole (LY171555) induces a pressor response in conscious Sprague-Dawley (S-D) rats through a central mechanism. The present study was designed to identify the neurons which medicate this pressor response. Injection of quinpirole (1-150 micrograms/kg) into the 4th ventricle produced a greater pressor response of a more rapid onset than similar injections into the lateral ventricle in conscious, freely moving S-D rats, suggesting a site of action in brainstem. Further, microinjections (5-10 micrograms/kg in 200 nl) of quinpirole into major hypothalamic nuclei of conscious, freely moving rats elicited no pressor response. Uni- or bilateral microinjections of quinpirole (5 micrograms/200 nl) into the posterior region of nucleus tractus solitarius (P-NTS) caused a consistent increase in mean arterial pressure (MAP) (Max = 12.4 +/- 1.1 mmHg, n = 12) with a rapid onset (less than 30 sec) in unanesthetized decerebrate S-D rats, while microinjections into the anterior region of NTS, area postrema, C1/A1 regions, raphe obscurus nucleus, locus coeruleus or regions 0.5 mm lateral, superior or inferior to P-NTS produced little or no response. The pressor response induced by bilateral microinjections of quinpirole into P-NTS was not different from that of unilateral microinjection. The pressor response to microinjection of quinpirole into P-NTS was abolished by pretreatment with metoclopramide (5 mg/kg, IV or 25 micrograms/200 nl, P-NTS injection; 5 min before), a selective DA D2 antagonist that crosses the blood-brain barrier.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Dietary Ca2+ prevents NaCl-sensitive hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats by a sympatholytic mechanism.

The current study tested the hypothesis that dietary Ca2+ supplementation reverses the NaCl-sensitive component of hypertension and the associated neurochemical abnormalities in the NaCl-sensitive spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR-S). Male SHR-S were begun on one of four diets at 8 weeks of age: control (0.75% NaCl/0.68% Ca2+); high NaCl (8.00% NaCl/0.68% Ca2+); high Ca2+ (0.75% NaCl/2.00% Ca2+); and high NaCl/high Ca2+ (8.00% NaCl/2.00% Ca2+). High NaCl SHR-S (X2 weeks) had higher mean arterial pressure (MAP) (161 +/- 4 mm Hg) than controls (149 +/- 3 mm Hg; P less than .05). Supplementation with Ca2+ prevented the rise in MAP in high NaCl rats, but did not alter MAP in controls. The 8% NaCl diet elevated plasma norepinephrine and reduced anterior hypothalamic (AHA) norepinephrine stores and turnover; concomitant Ca2+ supplementation restored both plasma norepinephrine and AHA norepinephrine turnover to normal. Clonidine was microinjected into the AHA of rats maintained on the four diets for 2 weeks to test the hypothesis that dietary Ca2+ supplementation prevents the previously observed NaCl-induced upregulation of alpha 2-adrenoceptors in AHA. Clonidine caused dose-dependent decreases in MAP that were greater in high NaCl rats than in controls. The Ca2+ supplementation prevented the exaggerated depressor response to clonidine in the high NaCl group, but not in the controls. The Ca2+ supplementation had no effect on pretreatment MAP or on MAP responses to clonidine in control NaCl-resistant SHR (SHR-R) or Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Thus, dietary Ca2+ supplementation prevents the NaCl-induced exacerbation of hypertension and augmented depressor response to clonidine in SHR-S by increasing noradrenergic input to AHA, thereby preventing the upregulation of AHA alpha 2-adrenoceptors.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Dietary Ca2+ increases natriuretic and diuretic responses to volume loading in NaCl-sensitive spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The present study tests the hypothesis that dietary Ca2+ supplementation increases acute diuretic and natriuretic responses to volume loading in the NaCl-sensitive spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR-S). Seven week old male SHR-S and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were fed one of the following diets for 2.5 weeks: basal (0.75% NaCl, 0.68% Ca2+); high NaCl (8% NaCl, 0.68% Ca2+); high Ca2+ (0.75% NaCl, 2.0% Ca2+); and high NaCl and Ca2+ (8% NaCl, 2.0% Ca2+). SHR-S on high Ca2+ and on high NaCl and Ca2+ diets for 2 weeks displayed significantly lower systolic arterial pressures (SAP) than SHR-S on basal and high NaCl diets, respectively. WKY displayed no diet-related change in SAP at any time during the study. After 2.5 weeks on the diets, pre-instrumented, conscious SHR-S and WKY received an intravenous infusion (5% body weight) of isotonic NaCl, and urine was collected through a bladder catheter for a period of 90 min. The infusion did not alter the heart rate or the mean arterial pressure in any group. WKY on the high NaCl diet excreted a significantly greater percentage of the volume and Na+ load than WKY on the basal diet. In contrast, SHR-S on the high NaCl (compared to basal) diet did not display significantly enhanced natriuresis or diuresis. SHR-S on the basal diet displayed excretion rates similar to WKY on the basal diet. Dietary Ca2+ supplementation significantly increased the natriuretic and diuretic responses to saline infusion in SHR-S on the high NaCl diet, but not in SHR-S on the basal diet or in WKY on either diet.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1990

NaCl does not affect hypothalamic noradrenergic input in deoxycorticosterone acetate/NaCl and Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

Previous studies from our laboratories demonstrated that dietary NaCl supplementation in NaCl-sensitive spontaneously hypertensive rats elevates blood pressure, increases peripheral sympathetic nervous system activity, and depresses endogenous norepinephrine stores and turnover in the anterior hypothalamus. These findings suggest that reduced noradrenergic input to sympathoinhibitory neurons in anterior hypothalamus contributes to NaCl-sensitive hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The current study tested the hypothesis that dietary NaCl supplementation depresses endogenous norepinephrine stores and turnover in anterior hypothalamus of two other NaCl-sensitive models of hypertension, the Dahl salt-sensitive rat and the deoxycorticosterone acetate/NaCl hypertensive rat, thus increasing blood pressure by reducing noradrenergic input to the anterior hypothalamus. Dahl salt-sensitive rats were fed a high (8%) NaCl diet, and deoxycorticosterone acetate/NaCl rats rats drank 1% NaCl solution ad libitum for 2 or 4 weeks. Age-matched Dahl salt-sensitive rats fed a basal 1% NaCl diet and uninephrectomized Sprague-Dawley rats drinking tap water were controls. Regional brain catecholamines were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Norepinephrine turnover in hypothalamus (anterior, posterior, and ventral regions) and brain stem (pons and medulla) was assessed using the dopamine beta-hydroxylase inhibitor 1-cyclohexyl-2-mercapto-imidazole. High NaCl treatment caused significant elevations in blood pressure in Dahl salt-sensitive and deoxycorticosterone acetate/NaCl rats, but endogenous norepinephrine levels and turnover rates were not significantly different in anterior hypothalamus or any other brain region studied between the NaCl-supplemented and control groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗