Hypertension promotes islet morphological changes with vascular injury on pre-diabetic status in SHRsp rats

Abstract

Hypertensive patients have a higher incidence of new-onset diabetic mellitus than normotensive subjects, and we hypothesized that hypertension induces morphological changes in islets via vascular injury. To test our hypothesis, we administrated hydralazine or irbesartan to spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone (SHRsp) rats. A greater islet fibrosis was observed in SHRsp rats compared with controls, and irbesartan significantly ameliorated the fibrosis. High fat diet induced glucose intorelance in SHRsp rats and irbesartan but not hydralazine improved glucose torelance. We demonstrate islet morphological changes in hypertensive rats, and our data suggest that angiotensin receptor blockers have the potential to prevent islet injury.

• Angiotensin II receptor blocker
• diabetes mellitus
• epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
• endothelial injury
• islet fibrosis

Acknowledgements

We thank Ms. Satomi Hanada, Ms. Etsuko Yorimasa, Ms. Keiko Ehara and Ms. Miki Ishihara (Kawasaki Medical School) for help with animal care and technical assistance.