Effects of sodium chloride on early and chronic phases of malignant hypertension in rats.

Malignant hypertension was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by a complete aortic ligation above the left renal artery. The effects of saline (0.9% NaCl) administration on the development and course of the malignant hypertensive vascular disease were studied and the treated rats were compared to non-saline-treated animals and to sham-operated controls in the early and chronic phases of the disease. In the early phase, blood pressure, hematocrit, body weight, and hypertensive vascular disease were characteristic of the malignant hypertensive process and were without significant difference in saline- and non-saline-treated animals. In contrast, the sham-operated rats remained normotensive and did not present abnormal histological findings. Plasma renin activity although decreased in the hypertensive saline-treated animals was not suppressed. In the chronic phase, NaCl administration caused an average increase of 40 g body weight during the 1-wk period this solution was given, but did not result in any improvement in blood pressure levels and vascular disease in treated rats compared to non-saline-treated animals.