Abstract
Relations between blood pressure and arteriosclerosis were discussed clinicopathologically and experimentally. Clinicopathological study was made on the aged over 60 year-old in Yokufukai Geriatric Hospital. Incidence of cerbral haemorrhage and cerebral infarction increased parallel with the severity of hypertension. Incidence of myocardial infarction, however, was unrelated to blood pressure. The severity of cerebral arteriosclerosis had a significant positive correlation with the averages of both systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. The severity of coronary arteriosclerosis was correlated only with the average of systolic pressure. The value of total serum cholesterol was apparently related to the severity of coronary arteriosclerosis. A positive significant correlation was demonstrated between systolic pressure and the total atherosclerotic area of the aorta. A negative significant correlation was demonstrated between diastolic pressure and the area of complicated lesions. The grade of arteriolosclerosis was severer in hypertensive aged than in normotensive aged. Systolic blood pressure had highly significant correlation with the severity of the sclerotic change in both small arteries and arterioles of the kidney. Diastolic pressure had also significant correlation with sclerotic change of the small arteries. The effects of blood pressure on the changes of arterial connective tissue, especially acid mucopolysaccharide, were experimentally studied on rabbits. A marked increase of total acid mucopolysaccharides in the aorta was found in rabbits with high blood porssure, which were produced by constricting abdominal aorta or renal artery with a silver clip. Increase of chondroitin sulfate, decrease of hyaluronic acid and increase of sulfate contents in acid mucopolysaccharides were demonstrated in hypertensive aorta. There was a positive correlation between blood pressure level and total mucopolysaccharide contents in the aortic wall. Acid mucopolysaccharide has been considered to play an important roll in the arteriosclerotic process. So our results suggest that the hypertension induces the changes of arterial mucopolysaccharides, and may prepared the ground for the developement of arteriosclerosis.
