Sympathetic vascular tone in spontaneous hypertension of rats

Differences in sympathetic vascular tone between Wistar Kyoto rats (WKR) and stroke prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (spSHR) were determined by comparing the following parameters: sympathetic activity was evaluated by determinations of plasma catecholamines (noradrenaline, adrenaline, dopamine) combined with the measurement of the neuronal and extraneuronal uptake of noradrenaline using an isolated rat heart preparation. The responsiveness of vascular smooth muscle to vasopressor agents was tested in the isolated perfused hindlimb preparation.