Differential metal content and gene expression in rat left ventricular hypertrophy due to hypertension and hyperactivity.

The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) has been studied extensively as a model of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and associated cardiac dysfunction due to hypertension (HT). The SHR also possesses a hyperactive trait (HA). Crossbreeding SHR with Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) control rats, which are nonHT and nonHA, followed by selected inbreeding produced two additional homozygous strains: WKHT and WKHA, in which the traits of HT and HA, respectively, are expressed separately.