Abstract
The responsiveness to vasoactive agents in the perfused hindlimb of DOCA-salt hypertensive rats was examined and compared with that of normotensive rats. The vasoconstrictor responses in the femoral vascular bed to norepinephrine and serotonin were markedly potentiated in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats as compared with those in normotensive rats, and no change was found in the responses to angiotensin II. On the other hand, the vasodilatory response in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats to isoproterenol was attenuated without any marked changes in responsiveness to acetylcholine, nitroprusside and papaverine. These results suggested that the reduced vasodilator responses as well as the increased vasoconstrictor responses occur to some specific vasoactive agents in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats.
