Ultrastructure and morphometric measurements of mesenteric arteries from newborn spontaneously hypertensive rats.

A morphometric and ultrastructural study of superior mesenteric arteries and large mesenteric arteries from newborn spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) was carried out. Morphometric measurements showed that in both vessel types, cross-sectional areas of the lumen and vessel wall components (e.g., media, adventitia) were similar between SHR and WKY. There was also no ultrastructural difference between SHR and WKY in the two types of arteries. We therefore conclude that vascular alterations found in older SHR take place after birth.