Comparative effects of adrenal regeneration hypertension on non-arteriosclerotic and arteriosclerotic Sprague-Dawley vs spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Adrenal regeneration hypertension (ARH) was induced in virgin and breeder, spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The blood pressure of the previously normotensive, virgin, SD rats and the SD breeder rats with preexistent mild hypertension became greatly elevated. ARH caused an increase in the preexisted severe hypertension in SHR virgin and breeder rats. Serum enzymes, e.g., CPK, SGOT and LDH, were greatly elevated concomitant with the finding of old and new foci of myocardial necrosis. ARH produced a dichotomous metabolic effect, i.e., elevated cholesterol, glucose, and corticosterone levels in SD rats but reduced levels in SHR rats. The zonae glomerulosae of the the regenerated adrenal glands of SD rats were devoid of lipid whereas the zonae glomerulosae of SHR rats were full of lipid. Intact SHR breeder rats develop arterial lesions confined to their reproductive organs but after ARH treatment, they were found to have aortic, coronary and renal arterial lesions which were similar to those which occur, spontaneously, in SD breeder rats. It is suggested that changes in the spectrum of adrenal steroids produced during ARH may contribute to the diverse metabolic changes and the alterations in the usual cardiovascular degenerative changes found in these two strains.