SYSTEMIC ARTERIAL-HYPERTENSION IN RATS EXPOSED TO SHORT-TERM ISOLATION - INTRA-ARTERIAL SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD-PRESSURE AND BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY

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  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 58  (4) , 232-239
Abstract
A system is described for accurately recording systolic and diastolic blood pressures in conscious, unrestrained rats. The system consists of a portion of flexible intraarterial catheter joined to a length of rigid plastic tubing, which is connected to a transducer via a stainless steel needle and tap. The whole system is filled with degassed saline. Traces obtained on a recording oscilloscope indicate that this system gives a flat response to 35 Hz. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures are significantly greater in rats which were isolated for 15-20 days than in group-housed animals, both in the anesthetized and conscious state. Measurements were made of the pulse-interval response to an increase in systolic blood pressure, induced by either a bolus injection or a slow infusion of a vasoconstrictor drug, as a means of assessing baroreflex sensitivity. There was a significant reduction of the baroreflex sensitivity of isolated rats compared to grouphoused animals. The elevation in blood pressure seen in isolated rats apparently is not a trasient response to the stress of the indirect measurement techniques used in previous studies.

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