A Combination of Hypercholesterolemia and Hypertension Augments an Impairment in Intra-Renal Perfusion Responses

P105 The kidney is a target organ for cardiovascular risk factors, such as atherosclerosis and hypertension (HT), and is particularly susceptible to their combination. Even at an early stage, hypercholesterolemia (HC) and HT are individually associated with impaired renal perfusion responses to challenge with vasodilators. However, the effect of combined HC and HT on renal perfusion remains uncertain. To examine this, regional renal perfusion response to the renal vasodilator acetylcholine (Ach) was quantified in 4 groups of pigs, using electron beam CT, after 12 weeks of either normal (n=6), HC diet (n=6), HT (unilateral renal artery stenosis, n=5), or combined HC and HT (HC+HT, n=6). The HC and HC+HT groups had increased cholesterol levels vs. normal and HT (430±82 and 351±52 vs. 71±6 and 83±4 mg/dl, ANOVA p