Heart size in inbred strains of rats. Part 2. Cardiovascular DNA and RNA contents during the development of cardiac enlargement in rats.

Enlargement and nucleic acid content of the cardiovascular system of several strains (SHRSP/N, SHR/N, OM/N, M520/N) of rats were compared with the WKY/N strain in an attempt to characterize cardiac enlargement. Cardiac enlargement in rats can be due to either hypertrophy (increase in myocyte size), hyperplasia (increase in cell number including supporting tissue), or a combination of both. The sum of the indices of the degree of hypertrophy and hyperplasia calculated from the difference of the heart and aorta deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) concentration and total DNA content between each strain and the WKY/N was almost equal to the degree of heart and aorta enlargement. The SHRSP/N revealed a striking hypertrophy of myocardial cells from the prehypertensive stage, and hyperplasia appeared gradually with the elevation of blood pressure. In contrast, the SHR/N developed a marked hyperplasia with some hypertrophy at the prehypertensive stage. Cardiac enlargement of the OM/N was attributed to both hypertrophy and hyperplasia. A large heart weight of the M520/N was recognized at only a young age, and was due almost entirely to hyperplasia. Aortic enlargements were related to hyperplasia. An increased ribonucleic acid (RNA) concentration was observed in both ventricles of the SHRSP/N, SHR/N, and M520/N rats at 4 weeks of age, and in all of the four strains at 16 weeks of age. A significantly higher RNA concentration was indicated in the aorta of three hypertensive strains of SHRSP/N, SHR/N, and OM/N at established hypertensive stage. These changes might be related to manifestations of genetic or other factors such as the effect of elevated blood pressure.