Genetically Altered Brain Amino Acid Metabolism in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats: A Study by Using Young Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats and Renal Hypertensive Rats

Abstract

Previously we demonstrated altered amino acid levels in brain-stem regions of adult spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). For comparison, in this study, we determined amino acid concentrations in discrete brainstem regions in young prehypertensive SHR and renal hypertensive rats. In prehypertensive SHR, the content of glutamate was increased in the rostral ventrolateral medulla and the causal ventrolateral medulla, and the content of β–alanine was decreased in the nucleus tractus solitarii. In renal hypertensive rats, there was no change in glutamate and β–alanine contents in all the regions. The profiles of contents of glutamate and β–alanine in the brain-stem regions in young SHR but not in renal hypertensive rats are the same as those found previously in adult SHR. Thus, the results of the present study suggest that the altered amino acid metabolism in the brainstem of SHR may be genetically inherent.

Key Words:

• Glutamate
• β-Alanine
• Taurine
• Glycine
• Medulla oblongata
• Spontaneously hypertensive rats
• Renal hypertensive rats