Changes in cyclic nucleotide metabolism in aorta and heart of neurogenically hypertensive rats: possible trigger mechanism of hypertension.

Changes in cyclic nucleotide metabolism similar to those characteristic of the chronic forms of hypertension were observed in an acute neurogenic form of hypertension in rats produced by electrolytic lesions of the nucleus tractus solitarii. These changes that were evident 2 hr after the lesions were made included decreased cyclic AMP levels in the heart, increased cGMP:cAMP ratio, cAMP phosphodiesterase (3':5'-cAMP 5'-nucleotidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.17) and guanylyl cyclase (GTP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.2) activities in the aorta and decreased snesitivity of adenylyl cyclase (ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.1) in both the aorta and heart to stimulation by the beta-adrenergic stimulant isoproterenol. These changes appear to depend on catecholamine release and are not due to mechanical distortion secondary to the increased arterial pressure. These studies provide biochemical support to the concept that the sympathetic nervous system may play a critical role in the initiation of the hypertensive syndrome and that chronic hypertension could result from the fixation of the biochemical effects of increased sympathetic activity.