Gene expression in a resistance artery in 2 models of hypertension in the rat

We investigated morphometric structure and gene expression by microarray analysis in a small diameter artery, branch of the saphenous artery (a resistance artery), in representative models of renin-angiotensin system (RAS)-dependent and glucocorticoid hypertension, using the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-induced hypertensive rat, respectively. Sixteen-week-old male Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and age-matched spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were used. Keywords: Comparison of global gene expression in resistance arteries of normotensive and genetically hypertensive rats and ACTH-treated rats. There were 3 experimental groups: Group 1: 16-week male Wistar-Kyoto rats; Group 2: 16-week male Wistar-Kyoto rats treated with ACTH (0.1mg/kg/day) subcutaneously, for 4 weeks prior to sampling (i.e. during weeks 12-16 of life) ; Group3: 16-week male SHR (spontaneously hypertensive) rats. There were 3 replicate hybridizations in each experimental group. Due to the low yield of total RNA obtained from the arterial sections, each replicate was composed of RNA pooled from 2-3 different rats.

本研究以隐动脉分支——一种小直径阻力动脉为研究对象，分别采用自发性高血压大鼠（spontaneously hypertensive rat, SHR）与促肾上腺皮质激素（adrenocorticotropic hormone, ACTH）诱导的高血压大鼠作为肾素-血管紧张素系统（renin-angiotensin system, RAS）依赖性与糖皮质激素性高血压的代表性模型，通过基因芯片分析对其形态计量学结构与基因表达谱进行了研究。
本研究使用16周龄雄性Wistar-Kyoto（WKY）大鼠与同周龄雄性自发性高血压大鼠。关键词：正常血压与遗传性高血压大鼠、ACTH处理大鼠的阻力动脉全基因表达对比。
本研究共设置3个实验组：
组1：16周龄雄性Wistar-Kyoto大鼠；
组2：16周龄雄性Wistar-Kyoto大鼠，于采样前4周（即出生后第12至16周）以0.1mg/kg/天的剂量皮下注射ACTH；
组3：16周龄雄性自发性高血压大鼠。
每个实验组均设置3次重复杂交实验。鉴于动脉组织切片获得的总RNA产量较低，每个重复样本均由2~3只不同大鼠的混合RNA制备而成。