DOCA-salt induced malignant hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

DOCA-salt hypertension was produced in 10 male 10-week-old normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats receiving deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA; 100 mg/kg, subcutaneous pellet) and 1% NaCl drinking water and was compared with data from 10 age- and sex-matched WKY receiving normal tap water (C). These data were also compared with spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats similarly treated. After 10 weeks on these programmes, systemic and regional haemodynamics were determined in conscious rats using microsphere techniques. DOCA-salt treatment increased mean arterial pressure (MAP), total peripheral resistance index (TPRI), cardiac and renal weights in both WKY and SHR. In contrast to SHR (C), the SHR (DOCA) demonstrated more severe MAP elevation (204 +/- 4 versus 185 +/- mmHg; P less than 0.01), more severe systemic and regional (especially renal) vasoconstriction, and malignant vasculitis associated with azotaemia and hyperuricaemia. The hyperuricaemia was related inversely to renal blood flow (r = -0.74; P less than 0.01) and directly to renal vasoconstriction (r = 0.65; P less than 0.05) in SHR (DOCA). These data suggest that in both WKY and SHR, DOCA and salt produced marked cardiovascular changes and SHR rats developed malignant hypertension.