Cardiac Natriuretic Peptide Profiles in Chronic Hypertension by Single or Sequentially Combined Renovascular and DOCA-Salt Treatments

Figures

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  FIGURE 1. Experimental design to study single and combined hypertensive models. Diagonally striped columns: sham-operated controls, Sham 6 weeks (Sh6) and Sham 12 weeks (Sh12). Solid black columns: renovascular hypertension 6 weeks (RV6) or 12 weeks (RV12). Solid white columns: DOCA-salt hypertension 6 weeks (DS6) or 12 weeks (DS12). Combined treatments: RV6/DS6 (black/white) and the inverse sequence DS6/RV6 (white/black). The switch occurs after 6 weeks from the beginning of treatment. Appropriate sham animals were studied for each group and pooled into two groups at 6 weeks (Sh6) and 12 weeks (Sh12).

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  FIGURE 2. Systolic blood pressure. The groups are indicated as described in Figure 1. Diagonally striped bars: Sham controls; black solid columns: RV treatment; white solid columns: DS treatment. Combined group RV6/DS6 is shaded black to white from left to right, and the inverse sequence DS6/RV6 is shaded white to black from left to right. Results are expressed as mean ± SEM, n = 10–18. Differences versus vs time- matched sham group (Sh6 or Sh12) are indicated on top of the column; differences among experimental groups are indicated within brackets: *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, §P < 0.001.

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  FIGURE 3. Circulating natriuretic peptide levels. Plasma ANP (A) and BNP (B). Results are expressed as mean ± SEM. The groups are nominated as described in Figure 1, and the columns are color coded as in Figure 2. Differences versus vs time- matched sham group (Sh6 or Sh12) are indicated on top of the column (no brackets); differences among experimental groups are indicated within brackets: ∗P < 0.05, §P < 0.001.

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  FIGURE 4. Left ventricular gene expression of ANP and BNP. ANP mRNA (A) and BNP mRNA (B) in the left ventricle. Results are expressed as mean ± SEM, n = 3–5. The groups are nominated as described in Figure 1, and the columns are color coded as in Figure 2. Differences versus vs time- matched sham group (Sh6 or Sh12) are indicated on top of the column (no brackets); differences among experimental groups are indicated within brackets: ∗P < 0.05, ∗∗P < 0.01, §P < 0.001. GAPDH, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.

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  FIGURE 5. Relationship between the evolution of cardiac hypertrophy (HW/BW) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels. Panel (A) analysis including all RV and DS groups; panel (B) analysis including only RV groups; panel (C) analysis including only DS groups. Each point on the graph represents the mean ± SE for each group. The groups are nominated as described in Figure 1.

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  FIGURE 6. Relationship between cardiac hypertrophy (HW/BW) and left ventricular NPs mRNA expression. Panels (A,B) analysis for ANP and BNP mRNA, respectively, including all RV and DS groups. Panel (C) analysis for ANP mRNA including only DS groups; panel (D) analysis for BNP mRNA including only RV groups. Each point on the graph represents mean ± SEM for each group. The groups are as nominated as described in Figure 1.