Hypertensive effects on pregnancy in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and stroke-prone SHR (SHRSP).

We studied the hypertensive effects on mothers and newborns in Wister Kyoto rats (WKY), spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and stroke-prone SHR (SHRSP). The average blood pressure of pregnant rats in WKY, SHR, and SHRSP was 100, 180, and 210 mmHg, respectively. The average adult female weight and weight gain during pregnancy were inversely proportional to the increase of hypertension. The rate of delivery, reproduction, litter size and their weight were lowest in the SHRSP.