Morphological changes in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Our previous studies of angiotension-induced acute hypertension showed increased intracerebral arteriolar permeability associated with markedly enhanced pinocytosis. This study was performed to determine whether similar findings occurred in spontaneous non-pharmacologically induced chronic hypertension. Cerebrovascular permeability to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was studied over an 82-week period in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) derived from a strain that originated from Japan. In a few animals increased cerebrovascular permeability to HRP was observed, associated with enhanced pinocytosis. Quantitatively, the number of pinocytotic vesicles in permeable arteriolar segments was significantly increased suggesting that enhanced pinocytosis is the principal mechanism of early cerebrovascular changes in SHR. Light microscopy of renal, ocular and cerebral vessels revealed medial hyperplasia affecting renal vessels at 16 weeks and occurring later in ocular and cerebral vessels. Deposition of fibrin in renal vessels was observed from 64 weeks onwards but was not associated with renal failure.