Participation of Tissue Electrolytes and Water to the Spontaneous Hypertension in Rats

Relationship between the electrolyte patterns in aorta, heart and serum, and the progression of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rat was studied. No significant differences in sodium, potassium and water contents in the tissues, and in electrolyte concentrations in the serum were found between the hypertensive rats at pre- or early-hypertensive phase and control rats of same ages. However, a marked increase in electrolyte and water contents in aorta and a decrease in concentration of potassium in the serum were observed in the hypertensive rats at the advanced phases. These results suggest that the disturbances in tissue electrolytes are not participant of the pathogenesis but of the marked progression of the hypertension.