The action of arterial hypertension on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. II. Qualitative and quantitative alterations of blood serum, liver and aortic lipids and lipoproteins in Okamoto-Aoki rats with spontaneous hypertension.

The purpose of the study was to investigate alterations in the content of the basic lipid fractions, and of the low density lipoproteins (LDL) in the liver, the blood serum and aorta, as well as to determine by acrylamide disc electrophoresis the hyperlipoproteinaemic type of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) which are considered as the most suitable model of essential hypertension. The experiments were carried out on 25 normotensive control Wistar rats and 30 SHR (Okamoto-Aoki strain). An augmentation of lipid metabolism in the liver and a moderate hyperlipidaemia mainly due to an increase in triglycerides was found. The quantitative alterations of the lipid fractions corresponded with the qualitative alterations of the lipoproteins, an intensive and permanent pre-beta-LP fraction being established. In all the SHR a peculiar pattern of hyperlipoproteinaemia differing from the basic Fredickson-Lees patterns by a LP-fraction located between tha alpha- and beta-LP fractions was also established. The alterations in the lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in SHR are considered as connected with the hypertensive state itself since no accompanying atherosclerosis was observed.