Hypertension Unit, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Am J Hypertens. 2012 May;25(5):612-9. doi: 10.1038/ajh.2011.260. Epub 2012 Jan 19.
Premenopausal women have lower blood pressure (BP) levels than men of similar age. Adiponectin has been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of various stress stimuli on BP and plasma adiponectin levels in male and female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats.
In three experimental models of hypertension, fructose-enriched diet, high salt diet, or L-NAME, were administered for up to 4 weeks. BP, metabolic parameters, and plasma adiponectin were measured at baseline and during the studies. The fructose diet protocol was repeated in female rats for 2 weeks with the addition of testosterone injections or vehicle.
Females, in contrast to males, did not develop fructose-induced hypertension. Total plasma triglycerides (TGs) were half in females at baseline (P < 0.001) and a third at 4 weeks (P < 0.05). Plasma insulin levels were 23% lower in females than in males at baseline (P < 0.05) and 42% lower after 4 weeks of fructose-enriched diet (P = 0.001). Plasma adiponectin levels were 65% higher in females than in males at baseline (P = 0.001) and 45% higher after 4 weeks of fructose-enriched diet (P < 0.05). Furthermore, female rats showed blunted BP response and elevated plasma adiponectin in the salt-induced and L-NAME-induced hypertension models. Testosterone injection to female rats reduced plasma adiponectin and reversed the blunted BP response.
Elevated plasma adiponectin levels, perhaps due to lack of suppression by testosterone, are associated with a blunting of BP response in female compared to male SD rats.
绝经前女性的血压（BP）水平低于同龄男性。脂联素在高血压的发病机制中起作用。本研究的目的是比较各种应激刺激对雄性和雌性 Sprague Dawley（SD）大鼠血压和血浆脂联素水平的影响。
在三种高血压实验模型中，给予果糖丰富饮食、高盐饮食或 L-NAME 长达 4 周。在基线和研究期间测量血压、代谢参数和血浆脂联素。在雌性大鼠中重复果糖饮食方案 2 周，并添加睾丸酮注射或载体。
与雄性大鼠相比，雌性大鼠不会发生果糖诱导的高血压。总血浆甘油三酯（TGs）在基线时女性减半（P < 0.001），4 周时减少三分之一（P < 0.05）。血浆胰岛素水平在基线时女性比男性低 23%（P < 0.05），4 周果糖丰富饮食后低 42%（P = 0.001）。血浆脂联素水平在基线时女性比男性高 65%（P = 0.001），4 周果糖丰富饮食后高 45%（P < 0.05）。此外，雌性大鼠在盐诱导和 L-NAME 诱导的高血压模型中表现出血压反应迟钝和血浆脂联素升高。向雌性大鼠注射睾丸酮可降低血浆脂联素并逆转血压反应迟钝。
与雄性 SD 大鼠相比，雌性大鼠的血压反应迟钝，可能是由于缺乏睾丸酮的抑制作用，导致血浆脂联素水平升高。
