The vascular sensitizing character of plasma from spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Experiments were conducted to examine the effects of plasma from spontaneously hypertensive rats (systolic blood pressure (SBP) = 183 torr; 1 torr = 133.322 Pa) on the contractile properties of aortic strips from normotensive rats. While incubated in plasma from spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats, the aortic strips of normotensive rats exhibited hyperresponsiveness to norepinephrine (NE) compared with those incubated in plasma obtained from Wistar-Kyoto (SBP = 128 torr) or Sprague - Dawley (SBP = 110 torr) rats. The washout of plasma and perfusion of the aortic strips with Krebs bicarbonate solution abolished the effect of SH plasma on the reactivity to NE but not potassium, suggesting a residual hypersensitivity. The comparison of these findings with results obtained for contractions of aortic strips in Krebs bicarbonate solution containing high and low levels of calcium indicated the effect of SH plasma on vascular tissue sensitivity was not directly related to an alteration in plasma levels of calcium.