ADRENAL REGENERATION HYPERTENSION

In young rats consuming 1% NaCl drinking solution, unilateral nephrectomy and bilateral adrenal enucleation caused a hypertension. Plasma corticosterone concentration in hypertensive rats was not significantly higher than that of normotensive control rats in early hypertensive or chronic hypertensive stage. At the end of experiment, each rat received an intravenous injection of 0.4 microCi/g of 3H-lysine and was sacrificed 2 hours after the injection. Incorporation of 3H-lysine into collagen or elastin of the mesenteric artery and heart in hypertensive rats was greater than that of normotensive rats. Administration of phenoxybenzamine hydrochloride lower the blood pressure of hypertensive rats and reduced the incorporation of 3H-lysine into collagen and elastin of the mesenteric artery and heart. From these findings, increased protein synthesis of collagen and elastin in hypertensive rats appears to play an important role for the maintenance of adrenal regeneration hypertension.