Hormonal and electrolyte responses to acute isohemic volume expansion in unanesthetized rats.

This study was undertaken to explore the time course of the metabolic response to isohemic blood volume expansion (30%) in normotensive, unanesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. Whole blood, drawn from a femoral artery catheter of conscious donor rats, was infused into the jugular vein of recipient rats. Blood samples were drawn from a carotid artery of recipient rats at time points beginning immediately post-volume expansion (IPVE) up through 5 days post-volume expansion (PVE).

Long-term microvascular response to hydralazine in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Chronic microcirculatory alterations produced by prolonged use of a vasoactive drug were repeatedly observed in the same skeletal muscle vessels of the dorsal microcirculatory chamber. Arterioles and venules with diameters averaging from 70 to 90 microns, the size range contributing most to peripheral vascular resistance, were measured daily for 6 days to determine differences in diameter, tortuosity, and number of branches. Hydralazine was given as a subcutaneous pellet (2.