In vitro vasoconstriction induced by calcium in renovascular hypertensive or old rats.

We studied the changes in calcium-induced vasoconstriction in isolated tail arteries from young (2 months) and old (12 months) normotensive, and young renovascular hypertensive rats (3 months old, with unilateral renal artery clipping at 6 weeks), pretreated with reserpine. The tail artery was removed and perfused/superfused with either a high potassium Krebs depolarizing solution or Krebs solution plus phenylephrine. Concentration-response curves to calcium were produced. Old rats had a low plasma renin activity and their depolarized tail arteries showed a weak vasoconstrictor response to calcium. Renovascular hypertensive rats had a high mean blood pressure and plasma renin activity. Responses of their depolarized tail arteries to calcium were greater. Responses to calcium in tail arteries perfused with phenylephrine were similar in all groups. We conclude that age and renovascular hypertension produce opposite changes in vasoconstriction induced by calcium in depolarized tail arteries.