ROLE OF DIETARY-SODIUM IN EXPERIMENTAL RE NOVASCULAR HYPERTENSION

In order to assess the role of dietary sodium with or without chloride on the development of 2 kidney, 1 clip renovascular hypertension, 49 male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed 3 different diets for 4 weeks after clipping: ad libitum sodium chloride, sodium citrate or sodium-free di et. Sham operated rats were used as control. The final conscious systo lic arterial pressure was similar in all hypertensive groups regardles s of diet. No change in cardiac index occurred in clipped animals wher eas total peripheral resistance raised to a similar extent. In conclus ion, sodium restriction did not prevent hypertension. In addition, the anion linked to sodium had no influence on the level of arterial pres sure.