Pancreatic Microcirculation Profiles in the Progression of Hypertension in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence indicates that the pancreas serves as a major source of degrading protease activities and that uncontrolled proteolytic receptor cleavage occurs under hypertensive conditions, which leading to systemic dysfunction and end-organic damage. However, changes in pancreatic microcirculation profiles during the progression of hypertension remain unknown. METHODS: Pancreatic microcirculatory blood distribution patterns and microvascular vasomotion of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and normotensive control Wistar Kyoto rats at 5, 8, 13, and 18 weeks of age were determined. Wavelet transform analysis was performed to convert pancreatic microhemodynamic signals into time–frequency domains and construct 3-dimensional spectral scalograms. The amplitudes of characteristic oscillators including endothelial, neurogenic, myogenic, respiratory, and cardiac oscillators were compared among groups. Plasma nitrite/nitrate levels were measured using a Griess reaction. Additionally, endothelin-1, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and interleukin-6 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: SHRs exhibited a reduced blood distribution pattern with progressively decreased average blood perfusion, amplitude, and frequency of microvascular vasomotion. Wavelet transform spectral analysis revealed significantly reduced amplitudes of endothelial oscillators from 8- to 18-week-old SHRs. Additionally, the blood microcirculatory chemistry complements explained the microhemodynamic profiles partially, as demonstrated by an increase in plasma nitrite/nitrate, endothelin-1, malondialdehyde, and interleukin-6 levels and a decreased superoxide dismutase level in SHRs. CONCLUSIONS: Pancreatic microcirculation profiles are abnormal in the progression of hypertension in SHRs, including a disarranged blood distribution pattern, impaired microvascular vasomotion, and reduced amplitudes of endothelial oscillators.