Animal models of hypertension.

Hypertension affects approximately 25% of adults and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Although there are currently adequate therapeutic options for humans with hypertension, the molecular mechanisms underlying hypertension are still relatively unknown. The generation of hypertensive animal models provides an excellent modality to not only study the pathophysiology but also test innovative therapeutics. This chapter describes the detailed methods that utilize the drinking water of rats to develop models of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition-induced, guanosine triphosphate cyclohydrolase (GTPCH) inhibition-induced, and glucocorticoid-induced hypertension.