Ionic Composition of the Aorta in Renal and Adrenal Hypertension

Abstract

The ionic composition of the aorta of the rat was studied in ‘postdesoxycorticosterone’ hypertension, ‘adrenal regeneration’ hypertension, and the hypertension which persists after excision of an ischemic kidney. The development of hypertension as a result of each of these procedures was associated with an increase in intracellular sodium and potassium content of the aorta. These findings are similar to those obtained in other forms of experimental hypertension. If similar compositional changes occur in arterioles, they may be important in the altered peripheral vascular resistance which characterizes hypertension.