Biomechanical properties of artery in spontaneously hypertensive rats after treating with tetrahydrobiopterin / 中国应用生理学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>AIM</b>To explore the effect of remodeling and biomechanical properties after chronic treating with tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) in spontaneously hypertensive rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The spontaneously hypertensive rat(SHR) were given with BH4 chronically. The opening angle in the zero-stress state , wall-to-lumen area ratios (W/L) of thoracic aorta and the relationship between pressure and diameter (P-D) of mesenteric artery were measured by computer image analysis in 4, 16, and 26 week-old respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Treating with BH4 chronically from 4 weeks-old in SHR, there was a significant decrease in morphometric parameters of the thoracic aorta and an increase in the zero-stress state of opening angle of elastic artery. The P-D curve of mesenteric artery moved upward.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Treating with BH4 prevented the structure and function of artery from abnormal changing, including to attenuate the resistant vascular hypertrophy and recover the vascular elasticity and expansibility.</p>