CHOLESTEROL CONCENTRATION AND CHOLESTEROL SYNTHESIS IN AORTAS OF RATS WITH RENAL HYPERTENSION*

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Aortic cholesterol concentrations were found to be higher in hypertensive rats than in normotensive controls. These differences were observed whether the serum cholesterol concentrations in the hypertensive rats were higher than or comparable to the levels in control rats. The rate of synthesis of cholesterol in vitro was found to be higher in aortas of hypertensive rats than in those of controls. The results suggest that the difference between aortic cholesterol concentrations in normotensive and hypertensive rats is dependent on local effects of the high blood pressure on the aorta, changes in the rate of cholesterol synthesis in the vessel, or both, rather than on a change in serum cholesterol concentration.