Renovascular hypertension: Effects of mesenchymal stem cells in the contralateral hypertensive kidney in rats.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) induced neovascularization and improved renal morphology of the stenotic kidney in 2 kidneys-1 clip (2K-1C) model of renovascular hypertension. The present study evaluated the effects of MSC in the contralateral hypertensive kidney. Three weeks after left renal artery occlusion, MSC were injected into the tail vein of the 2K-1C rats.

Chronic Nicotine Exposure Abolishes Maternal Systemic and Renal Adaptations to Pregnancy in Rats.

Pregnancy is characterized by maternal systemic and intrarenal vasodilation, leading to increases in the renal plasma flow (RPF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). These responses are mainly mediated by nitric oxide (NO) and relaxin. The impact of cigarette smoking on the maternal adaptations to pregnancy is unclear.

Impact of angiogenic therapy in the treatment of critical lower limb ischemia in an animal model.

Angiogenic therapies for critical limb ischemia were tested in a mouse model. The mice were anesthetized and their femoral arteries were ligated. The animals were treated with bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCs) alone, BMMCs combined with plasmid vector encoding granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), received no treatment, or no intervention (controls).

Increased renal sympathetic nerve activity leads to hypertension and renal dysfunction in offspring from diabetic mothers.

The exposure of the fetus to a hyperglycemic environment promotes the development of hypertension and renal dysfunction in the offspring at adult age. We evaluated the role of renal nerves in the hypertension and renal changes seen in offspring of diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in female Wistar rats (streptozotocin, 60 mg/kg ip) before mating.

Blood pressure reducing effects of Phalaris canariensis in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The birdseed Phalaris canariensis (Pc) is popularly used as an antihypertensive agent. The aqueous extract of Pc (AEPc) was administered in adult normotensive Wistar rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and in prehypertensive young SHR (SHR(Y), 3 weeks old). Animals received AEPc (400 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1), by gavage) for 30 days, then groups were divided into 2 subgroups: one was treated for another 30 days and the other received water instead of AEPc for 30 days.

High sucrose intake in rats is associated with increased ACE2 and angiotensin-(1-7) levels in the adipose tissue.

Sucrose-fed rats, a model of metabolic syndrome, are characterized by insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension, and high plasma levels of triacylglycerols and angiotensin II (Ang II). However, whether tissue renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is altered in metabolic syndrome is unclear. To study this issue, food ad libitum and water (C) or 20% sucrose solution (SC) were given to adult male Wistar rats, for 30 days.

Synergistic effect of vascular endothelial growth factor and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor double gene therapy in mouse limb ischemia.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has mostly been tested to treat ischemic diseases, although the outcomes obtained are not satisfactory. Our hypothesis is that the local transient expression of VEGF and stem cell mobilizer granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) genes in ischemic limbs can complement their activities and be more efficient for limb recovery.

Methods: Limb ischemia was surgically induced in mice and 50 microg of VEGF and/or G-CSF genes were locally transferred by electroporation.

Vitamin C prevents DNA damage induced by renovascular hypertension in multiple organs of Wistar rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate, through the single-cell gel (comet) assay, whether vitamin C is able to protect against renovascular hypertension-induced genotoxicity in multiple organs. A total of 32 male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: negative control (n = 6); animals treated with vitamin C (n = 6); hypertensive rats (n = 10) and hypertensive rats and treated with vitamin C (n = 10). Hypertension was induced as a result of partial obstruction of the left renal artery by means of a silver clip during 6 weeks.

Altered balance of gamma-aminobutyric acidergic and glutamatergic afferent inputs in rostral ventrolateral medulla-projecting neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus of renovascular hypertensive rats.

An imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory functions has been shown to contribute to numerous pathological disorders. Accumulating evidence supports the idea that a change in hypothalamic gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic inhibitory and glutamatergic excitatory synaptic functions contributes to exacerbated neurohumoral drive in prevalent cardiovascular disorders, including hypertension. However, the precise underlying mechanisms and neuronal substrates are still not fully elucidated.

Commissural nucleus of the solitary tract is important for cardiovascular responses to caudal pressor area activation.

The nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) is the site of the first synapse of cardiovascular afferent fibers in the central nervous system. Important mechanisms for cardiovascular regulation are also present in the caudal pressor area (CPA) localized at the caudal end of the ventrolateral medulla. In the present study we sought to investigate the role of the commissural subnucleus of the NTS (commNTS) on pressor and tachycardic responses induced by l-glutamate injected into the CPA.

Effects of chronic anabolic steroid treatment on tonic and reflex cardiovascular control in male rats.

The aim of this study was to analyze the cardiovascular effects of chronic stanozolol administration in male rats. The rats were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) control (n=12), (2) chronic treatment with low dose of stanozolol (LD, n=18, 5 mg/kgweek) and; (3) treatment with high dose of stanozolol (HD, n=28, 20 mg/kgweek). Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was higher in both HD (128+/-2.

Haemodynamic effects of hypothalamic disconnection in anaesthetized rats.

The aim of the present study was to analyse the haemodynamic effects induced by the hypothalamic disconnection (HD) caudal or rostral to the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). Mean arterial pressure (MAP), hindlimb, renal and mesenteric blood flow and vascular conductance (HVC, RVC and MVC, respectively) were measured in urethane (1.2 g/kg, i.