Journal of hypertension
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Journal of hypertension · May 1993
Relationship between cardiovascular hypertrophy and cardiac baroreflex function in spontaneously hypertensive and stroke-prone rats.
To determine whether the reduced baroreceptor-heart rate reflex sensitivity in genetically hypertensive rats is related to the level of cardiac or vascular hypertrophy. ⋯ These results suggest that prevention of cardiac rather than vascular hypertrophy is the major requirement for normalizing the vagal component of the baroreceptor-heart rate reflex in hypertensive rats. However, structural changes accounted for only about two-thirds of the vagal deficit. The remainder was restored by the presence of an ACE inhibitor, suggesting that the vagal component of the baroreceptor-heart rate reflex is normally suppressed by the renin-angiotensin system.