INITIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF HAMSTERS WITH SPONTANEOUS HYPERTENSION

The purpose of this study was to begin to characterize a new inbred st rain of adult male hamsters with established spontaneous hypertension along with their genetically/age-matched normotensive controls. We fou nd that mean arterial pressure was 162+/-3 mm Hg in hypertensive hamst ers and 94+/-4 mm Hg in controls (mean+/-SEM; P<.05). Body weight was significantly lower in hypertensive hamsters relative to normotensive hamsters (P<.05). Hypertension was associated with a significant incre ase in heart weight, thickness of the left ventricular wall, and ampli tude of the QRS complex in standard electrocardiographic leads I and a VR (P<.05). No gross or microscopic abnormalities were observed in oth er organs. Plasma renin activity and the number of circulating neutrop hils were significantly increased in hypertensive hamsters relative to controls (P<.05). Serum concentrations of creatinine, blood urea nitr ogen, sodium, potassium, and calcium as well as urinalysis were simila r in both groups. Overall, these data suggest that the spontaneously h ypertensive hamster could be a suitable model for the study of spontan eous hypertension.