Abstract
The immunocytochemical localization of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was studied in subcommissural organ (SCO) of aged-matched normotensive Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats at 10, 14 and 18 months of age using a polyclonal antibody against bFGF. The bFGF-like immunoreactivity (bFGF-ir) was observed in SCO ependymal cells of young and old normotensive rats. However, a progressive loss of bFGF-immunopositive ependymal SCO cells was observed with age in SH rats (27.24, 57.5 and 96.9% in 10, 14 and 18 months old respectively) compared with aged-matched WKY normotensive rats. Considering the potential role of the SCO in sleep regulation and sodium homeostasis, which are altered in essential hypertension, these data show a new neuroendocrine anomaly to be added to the many others previously observed in this rat strain, when they develop hypertension as they get old.
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