coronary angiogenesis during experimental hypertension: is it reversible?

background: we investigated coronary angiogenesis and serum vascular endothelial growth factor (vegf) and its soluble receptor-1 (sflt-1) concentrations in two-kidney one-clip (2k1c) hypertensive rats before and after reversal of hypertension. methods: the animal groups were: (i) sham-clipped for 12 weeks; (ii) 2k1c for 12 weeks; (iii) sham-clipped for 12 weeks and unclipped for 12 weeks; and (iv) 2k1c for 12 weeks and unclipped for 12 weeks. blood samples were taken before experiments and after clipping and unclipping; capillary density was also evaluated. results: our results showed that blood pressure in hypertensive animals was higher than sham group (175 ± 10 vs. 110.3 ± 11.3 mmhg; p < 0.05). unclipping significantly reduced blood pressure in hypertensive rats (p < 0.05). serum vegf and sflt-1 levels in hypertensive group was significantly lower than sham group (vegf: 74.36 ± 5.85 vs. 104.07 ± 7.75 pg/ml; sflt-1: 426.67 ± 25.74 vs. 690.76 ± 41.14 pg/ml, respectively; p < 0.05). unclipping in hypertensive animals increased serum vegf and sflt-1 concentrations (vegf: 93.65 ± 8.61 vs. 74.36 ± 5.85 pg/ml; sflt-1: 742.05 ± 79.23 vs. 426.67 ± 25.74 pg/ml, respectively; p < 0.05). in hypertensive animals, capillary density in the heart was higher than sham group, non-significantly (p > 0.05) and after unclipping, it reached to sham group level. conclusions: it seems that changes in capillary density and serum vegf and sflt-1 concentrations in renovascular hypertension are reversible by removing the cause of hypertension and it shows the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in clinical condition. keywords: hypertension, angiogenesis inhibitor, coronary vessels, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1.