EFFECT OF DIETARY CALCIUM ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF HYPERTENSION AND HYPERTENSIVE VASCULAR-LESIONS IN DOCA-SALT AND 2-KIDNEY, ONE-CLIP HYPERTENSIVE RATS

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of modest changes in dietary calcium on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and myocardial and renal vascular lesions in Sprague-Dawley rats. DESIGN: Regular- (0.4%, by weight), high- (0.8%) or low-calcium (0.24%) diets were fed to normotensive control, deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt and two-kidney, one clip (2-K, 1C) hypertensive rats for 8 weeks. METHODS: Tail-cuff SBP and metabolic balance were measured once a week. At the end of the study the kidneys and hearts were collected for histological study. RESULTS: Dietary calcium had no effect on SBP in the DOCA-salt rats, but loading with calcium accelerated the rise in SBP in 2-K,1C rats (P < 0.01, high- v..