Cardiac output and total peripheral resistance in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

ESPITE extensive studies on spontaneously hypertensive rats, there have been no studies on the cardiac output except a preliminary work by Albrecht et al,4) which reported a decreasing tendency of cardiac output with age. These authors employed the Stewart-Hamilton principle for the measurement of cardiac output. An attempt was made in this study to measure cardiac output in SHR by applying an electromagnetic flowmeter probe at the ascending aorta under anesthesia and artificial respiration. Arterial pressure was recorded simultaneously and total peripheral resistance was calculated. These parameters were compared with those in normotensive control rats and effects of ganglion blockade were also studied.