Effect of age on high-fat diet-induced hypertension.

Aging and obesity both have a significant impact on central blood pressure (BP) regulation, and previous studies indicated that changes in central redox signaling with age may affect high-fat (HF) diet-induced cardiovascular responses. Therefore, we investigated the effects of 60% HF feeding on BP regulation in young adult (5 mo) and old (26 mo) Fischer-344 × Brown-Norway rats. Radiotelemetric transmitters were implanted to measure BP, heart rate (HR), locomotor activity, and spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity.

Hypertensive effects of central angiotensin II infusion and restraint stress are reduced with age.

Objective: We investigated the effect of age on cardiovascular responses mediated by central angiotensin II (AngII) after intracerebroventricular infusion of AngII, and during restraint stress.

Methods: Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) of young (5-month-old) and old (27-month-old) male Fischer-344 x Brown-Norway rats were measured using radiotelemetry. AngII was infused intracerebroventricularly using osmotic minipumps (10 ng/0.