Composition and mechanics of cerebral arterioles in hypertensive rats.
Year: 1988
Type: article
Abstract: It was demonstrated recently that, in contrast to large cerebral arteries, distensibility of cerebral arterioles is increased in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). The goals of this study were to examine composition of normal cerebral arterioles, and to determine whether chronic hypertension alters relative composition of the arteriolar wall. Pial arterioles in normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats contain large amounts of smooth muscle, small amounts of elastin and basement membrane, and very little collagen. Hypertrophy of pial arterioles in SHRSP is characterized by increases in the elastic components, smooth muscle and elastin. The stiffer components, collagen and basement membrane either did not change or decreased. It is concluded that cerebral arterioles contain proportionately more smooth muscle and less collagen than large arteries, and that hypertrophy of cerebral arterioles in SHRSP is accompanied by a relative increase in the more elastic components of the arteriolar wall, which probably contributes to the increase in arteriolar distensibility.
Source: PubMed Central
Authors: G L Baumbach, J G Walmsley, M N Hart
Institution: University of Iowa
Language: English
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W822472579