| Forty mature male rats (Wistar strain) were maintained alive for 40 days, separated in four groups of five rats each (Control, L-NAME, L-NAME + Enalapril, L-NAME + Verapamil). Three aortic wall parameters were analyzed, as follows: the Q A(SMN) (the number of the tunica media smooth muscle nuclear profiles per area), the S V(lamellae) (surface density of the aortic lamellae), and the aortic wall thickness (AWT). Rats of the L-NAME group showed high blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy. The AWT, the Q A(SMN) and the S V(lamellae) showed the same tendency among the groups. The increased AWT, or the reduced Q A(SMN) and the S V(lamellae) in l-NAME rats were not completely prevented by the administration of enalapril or verapamil. Hypertension causes the AWT... |
