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The Effect Of Wild Blueberries On Endothelium-Dependent Vasodilation In Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats, Aleksandra S. Kristo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effect of wild blueberries on major endothelium-dependent vasodilation pathways and arterial blood pressure (BP) was examined in the young adult Spontaneously Hypertensive rat (SHR), used as a model of endothelial dysfunction, and the Wistar Kyoto (WK) rat, with functional endothelium, used as the control. Male SHR and WK rats were fed a control (SHR-C and WK-C), or a wild blueberry-enriched (SHR-B and WK-B) diet for nine weeks. By the age of 21 weeks, thoracic aortae were excised and 3mm arterial rings were prepared and immersed in Radnoti tissue baths. Rings were precontractred with phenylephrine (Phe) (10"6M), followed by cumulative …