Reduced Common Carotid Artery Blood Flow in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats is Unaffected by Aging and/or Chronic In Vivo Resveratrol Treatment

Abstract

This study examined common carotid artery (CCA) blood flow (using a perivascular flowprobe) and pressure (using a catheter‐tip transducer) in anesthetized Adult (20‐24 wk old) and Aging (60‐70 wk old) Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) and Spontaneously Hypertensive rats (SHR) following 28‐days of in vivo treatment (in drinking water, ab libitum) with either no trans resveratrol (RSV; No‐RSV), a moderate RSV dose (Mod‐RSV; ~0.075 mg/kg/day; to mimic daily red wine consumption), or a high RSV dose (High‐RSV; ~7.5 mg/kg/day). CCA mean, maximal systolic, minimum diastolic, and pulse pressure, and heart rate, were all significantly elevated in SHR vs. WKY (p<0.01). Aging was associated with a significant increase in pulse pressure in WKY (p<0.01). CCA mean, maximal systolic, and minimum diastolic blood flow, and vascular conductance, were all significantly reduced in SHR vs. WKY (p<0.05). Aging did not have a significant effect on the flow parameters in either SHR or WKY. Neither Mod‐RSV nor High‐RSV treatment had a significant effect on the CCA blood pressure and blood flow variables measured. These data demonstrate that the reduction in CCA blood flow found in SHR is unaffected by aging or chronic in vivo RSV treatment. Further investigation into what can account for and alter the reduced CCA blood flow found in SHR is warranted.Funded by NSERC.