Structural alterations of blood vessels in hypertensive rats

Vascular changes in the mesenteric arteries were examined in three animals models for human essential hypertension. These models are: spontaneously hypertensive rats, which develop hypertension with age; Dahl model of genetic, salt-dependent hypertensive rats; and deoxycorticosterone-salt hypertensive rats. Morphometric measurements of the arterial wall components (e.g., endothelium, media) were carried out in the elastic arteries, muscular …