Are isolated femoral resistance vessels or tail arteries good models for the hindquarter vasculature of spontaneously hypertensive rats?

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Abstract
The extent to which the properties of small arteries from the hindquarters of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) are consistent with the characteristics of perfused SHR hindquarter preparations (for which the relaxed vascular resistance, the reactivity and the sensitivity are reported to be increased) was investigated. The in vitro morphological and pharmacological properties of a femoral resistance vessel (i.d. [internal diameter] .apprx. 200 .mu.m) and of the tail artery (i.d. ca 600 .mu.m) from SHR were compared with those from control Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). When relaxed, for any given wall tension, the internal circumference of the SHR resistance vessels was reduced, but that of the SHR tail artery was normal. When activated with 10 .mu.M noradrenaline [norepinephrine], the SHR resistance vessels had an increased Ca sensitivity, but the Ca sensitivity of the SHR tail arteries was normal. The maximum response of both types of SHR vessels was such that the vessels would have been able to contract against increased transmural pressure. The noradrenaline sensitivity of the SHR resistance vessels was normal, but the SHR tail arteries had a decreased sensitivity. Apparently, the femoral resistance vessel is, in general, a better model for the hindquarter vasculature than is the tail artery.

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