ISSN:
1432-1912
Keywords:
Blood pressure
;
Ca2+ATPase
;
Dietary calcium loading
;
Na:K ratio
;
Spontaneously hypertensive rats
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Summary The effects of oral calcium loading on the development of hypertension were studied in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Forty-eight male SHR were divided into four groups according to treatment: control, calcium, deoxycorticosterone (DOC) and DOC+calcium. Both calcium groups received ad libitum 1.5% CaCl2 as drinking fluid. The DOC animals were injected with a mineralocorticoid, deoxycorticosterone trimethylacetate, 25 mg/kg, s. c., once a week. Systolic blood pressure (BP) was measured once a week by the tail cuff method. During the nine-week study, the development of hypertension was enhanced in the DOC group, while in the calcium group a blood pressure-lowering effect was observed when compared to the controls. Calcium also abolished the hypertensive effect of DOC. The maximal velocity of calcium transport was higher in “insideout”-vesicles of red blood cells as compared to controls in both calcium-supplemented groups. DOC treatment resulted in elevated sodium and potassium contents in tail artery tissue, while the effect of the combination of DOC+calcium was equal to controls. On the other hand, the tissue Na:K ratio was decreased in both tail artery wall and heart in the calcium group. Calcium treatment diminished the excretion of phosphate in both groups, while the plasma phosphate concentration was lowered in the calcium group. In mesenteric arterial rings, DOC impaired nitro-prusside-induced relaxation, while the relaxation was enhanced compared to control in both the calcium and DOC+calcium groups. As a summary, it can be assumed that in the calcium group, a higher rate of calcium extrusion via Ca2+ ATPase together with a reduction in the tissue Na:K ratio, possibly reflecting a change in Na+K+ ATPase activity, partially explain the beneficial effects of high calcium intake in blood pressure. The combination DOC+calcium, in turn, seems to oppose the effects of DOC on blood pressure via higher rate of calcium extrusion and by returning the tissue sodium and potassium contents to the control level.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00175478
