Methods of indirectly determining blood pressure in the rat are reviewed and their drawbacks noted. A new method is described which has the advantage of objectivity and provides permanent graphic record of each determination. The end point used is the reappearance of pulsation in the foot distal to a slowly deflating leg cuff. Application of the method is described and its use compared with tai...

Methods of indirectly determining blood pressure in the rat are reviewed and their drawbacks noted. A new method is described which has the advantage of objectivity and provides permanent graphic record of each determination. The end point used is the reappearance of pulsation in the foot distal to a slowly deflating leg cuff. Application of the method is described and its use compared with tai...

Although there are several indirect or noninvasive methods (i.e., oscillometric and Doppler) available, it is sometimes impossible to obtain a reading on exotic patients. The Doppler method is more versatile than the oscillometric method, and is the method used by the author for all exotic patients. The ultrasonic Doppler flow detector (Parks Medical Electronics Inc., Aloha, OR) uses ultrasonic...

The pig is a commonly used large animal model in experimental studies. Few non-invasive techniques exist however for the measurement of blood pressure in the porcine model. This study evaluates the novel use of the easily available neonatal blood pressure cuff for measuring blood pressure in the pig. Six Yorkshire pigs were used for the study. Blood pressure measurements obtained by the applica...

The mean arterial pressure (MAP) of nine sinoaortic denervated (SAD) and eight control rats housed in standard-sized metabolic cages was determined continuously via aortic cannulae and computerized data collection over 24 hours. These continuous measurements were compared with direct, mean aortic pressure measurements and indirect, tail-cuff systolic pressure determinations made while these rat...

OBJECTIVE To compare cardiac structural changes in experimental pressure and volume overload models. METHODS The study analysis included renovascular hypertensive rats (RVH, n = 8), normotensive rats with volume overload caused by an aortocaval fistula (ACF, n = 10) and control rats (CONT, n = 8). After four weeks, tail cuff blood pressure (SBP) was recorded. Rats were killed, the hearts were...

Nerve growth factor (NGF) controls the growth of sympathetic nerves and is increased in young spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The NGF gene has been linked genetically with hypertension in the SHR strain and may explain high NGF mRNA levels. To test for genetic linkage between the NGF gene and its expression in vivo, we examined renal NGF mRNA levels in male SHR, control Donryu rats (DRY)...

A link between prenatal malnutrition and hypertension in human populations has recently been proposed. Rat models of prenatal malnutrition have provided major support for this theory on the basis of tail-cuff measurements. However, this technique requires restraint and elevated temperature, both potential sources of stress. To determine the effect of prenatal protein malnutrition on blood press...