Abstract
The influence of ethanol (alcohol) consumption on blood pressure during and after the development of hypertension was examined by using spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and stroke-prone SHR (SHRSP). Normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were also used for comparison. Substituting alcohol (5-20%) for drinking water at 1 month of age retarded the age-dependent rise of blood pressure in all three strains so that, at 7 months, blood pressure measured by a tail-cuff method was 24 mm Hg, 26 mm Hg, and 41 mm Hg lower in the alcohol-treated WKY rats, SHR, and SHRSP, respectively, than in untreated rats. Significant differences in blood pressure were seen in each strain after only 3 months. Withdrawal of alcohol at this stage caused an acute rise of blood pressure then a return to subnormal levels, which persisted for a further 3 months. Administration of 15% alcohol to adult WKY rats and SHR for 2 months had no significant effect on blood pressure. Increasing alcohol content to 20% for a further 2 months prevented rises of blood pressure in both strains. Thus, although continuous drinking of alcohol does not lower blood pressure, it appears to counteract the development of hypertension in rats.
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