Abstract
Recent reports indicate that TLR4 participates in mediating the inflammatory responses in vascular diseases. Because hypertension is considered a chronic inflammatory disease, our hypothesis is that TLR4 expression is increased in arterioles of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and participates of vascular dysfunction present in hypertension. For this, SHR were treated with anti‐TLR4 antibody and we analyzed reactivity in mesenteric arterioles. TLR4 expression is increased in mesenteric arterioles from SHR with 15 weeks‐old (hypertensive phase) versus SHR 5 weeks‐old (normotensive phase). The treatment of SHR 15 weeks‐old for 15 days with losartan decreased TLR4 expression in mesenteric arterioles. Anti‐TLR4 treatment decreased blood pressure of SHR. In vascular reactivity, the maximum response of mesenteric arterioles to noradrenaline was decreased in SHR anti‐TLR4‐treated compared to untreated rats. The mechanisms involved are COX‐1 and COX‐2 dependent. There was no difference in relaxation response to vasodilatation agonists after the treatment. It was also found a decreased in IL‐6 secretion in SHR serum after anti‐TLR4 treatment. We suggest that TLR4 has a role in the low‐grade inflammatory process present in hypertension and in vascular dysfunction present in SHR.
Published Version
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