Ageing-related aorta remodelling and calcification occur earlier and progress more severely in rats with spontaneous hypertension.

The effects of hypertension on vascular remodelling, ageing and calcification are not fully understood. In this study, we monitored the dynamic changes of aorta remodelling, senescence and calcification in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) during ageing.

RESULTS: Vascular remodelling and senescence cells occurred in SHR aortas at 24 weeks. The calcium content and calcium deposition of the aorta increased in SHRs at 48 weeks. All of these changes became increasingly significant with ageing. In contrast, these pathologic changes appeared in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) normotensive rats at a much later stage (72 weeks). These data showed that the ageing-related aorta remodelling, senescence and calcification in SHRs occurred earlier and progressed more severely than in WKY rats.

CONCLUSION: Ageing-related vascular remodelling and calcification were accelerated and augmented in SHR aortas.