Structure and vasoactivity of pial arterioles.

<p>Passive internal diameter (passive ID, µm) and wall thickness at the arteriolar pressure range of 30–35 mmHg (WT_30–35, µm) and slope of the elastic modulus <i>versus</i> stress (E_T), responses of pial arterioles to serotonin and ADP (percentage of change in baseline ID) of 4–5 month-old SHR that where vehicle-treated (SHR) or treated for 10 days with candesartan cilexetil (CANDE, 10 mg/kg per day), pioglitazone (PIO, 2.5 mg/kg per day) or both (CANDE+PIO, 10+2.5 mg/kg per day), or telmisartan (TELMI, 2 mg/kg per day).</p><p>n = 6–15, m±sem, Bonferroni post-test:</p>*<p>p<0.05 <i>vs</i> SHR,</p>†<p>p<0.05 <i>vs</i> PIO,</p>$<p>: p<0.05 <i>vs</i> CANDE.</p><p>t-tests for TELMI: ! p<0.05 vs SHR, £: p < 0.05 vs CANDE, ¥: p < 0.05 vs CANDE+PIO.</p

Hypotension-induced changes in pial arteriolar diameters.

<p>Internal diameters of pial arterioles (ID, µm) during decrease in systemic mean arterial blood pressure (mmHg), <b>A</b>: in 4–5 month-old normotensive rats (WKY, empty circles) and hypertensive vehicle-treated rats (SHR, full triangles); and <b>B</b>: in hypertensive rats treated for 10 days with telmisartan (TELMI, 2 mg/kg per day, empty squares) or candesartan cilexetil (CANDE, 10 mg/kg per day, full squares). n = 4–8 per group, m±sem.</p

Levels of PPAR-gamma and eNOS expression and glutathione content in brain microvessels.

<p>PPAR-gamma and eNOS mRNA expression in brain microvessels and glutathione (GSH) content of brain microvessels of 4–5 month-old SHR that where vehicle-treated (SHR) or treated for 10 days with candesartan cilexetil (CANDE, 10 mg/kg per day), pioglitazone (PIO, 2.5 mg/kg per day) or both (CANDE+PIO, 10+2.5 mg/kg per day), or telmisartan (TELMI, 2 mg/kg per day).</p><p>n = 6–15, m±sem, Bonferroni post-test: $: p<0.05 <i>vs</i> CANDE.</p><p>t-tests for TELMI:</p>!<p>p<0.05 <i>vs</i> SHR,</p>£<p>: p<0.05 <i>vs</i> CANDE,</p>¥<p>: p<0.05 <i>vs</i> CANDE+PIO.</p

Blood pressure and baseline pial arteriolar diameters.

<p><b>A:</b> Systemic mean arterial blood pressure (mmHg), <b>B:</b> mean intra-arteriolar blood pressure (mmHg) and <b>C:</b> baseline internal diameter of pial arterioles (ID, µm) in 4–5 month-old SHR that where vehicle-treated (SHR, full bars) or treated for 10 days with candesartan cilexetil (CANDE, 10 mg/kg per day, left-sloping hatched bars), pioglitazone (PIO, 2.5 mg/kg per day, right-sloping hatched bars) or both (CANDE+PIO, 10+2.5 mg/kg per day, double-sloping hatched bars), or telmisartan (TELMI, 2 mg/kg per day, horizontal hatched bars); m±sem. p values for two-way ANOVA: - A: mean arterial blood pressure (n = 13–18) p_interaction 0.051, p_cande<1.10⁻⁴, p_pio 0.180 - B: mean intra-arteriolar blood pressure (n = 10–12) p_interaction 0.456, p_cande<1.10⁻⁴, p_pio 0.389 – C: ID (n = 12–13) p_interaction 0.017, p_cande<1.10⁻⁴, p_pio 0.107 Bonferroni post-test: * p<0.05 <i>vs</i> SHR, † p<0.05 <i>vs</i> PIO, $: p<0.05 <i>vs</i> CANDE t-tests for TELMI: * p<0.05 <i>vs</i> SHR,$: p<0.05 <i>vs</i> CANDE.</p

Levels of PPAR-gamma and eNOS mRNA expression.

<p><b>A:</b> PPAR-gamma and <b>B:</b> eNOS mRNA expression in brain microvessels of 4–5 month-old normotensive rats (WKY, empty bars), hypertensive rats that where vehicle-treated (SHR, full bars) or treated for 10 days with telmisartan (TELMI, 2 mg/kg per day, horizontal hatched bars) or candesartan cilexetil (CANDE, 10 mg/kg per day, left-sloping hatched bars). n = 4–5, m±sem; 1-way ANOVA; Newman-Keuls *: p<0.05 <i>vs</i> WKY, $: p<0.05 <i>vs</i> CANDE.</p

Vasoreactivity of pial arterioles to Ang II.

<p>Vasoactive response of pial arterioles (percentage of change in baseline ID) to suffusion of Ang II (10⁻⁶ M) in 4–5 month-old SHR that where vehicle-treated (SHR, full bars) or treated for 10 days with candesartan cilexetil (CANDE, 10 mg/kg per day, left-sloping hatched bars), pioglitazone (PIO, 2.5 mg/kg per day, right-sloping hatched bars) or both (CANDE+PIO, 10+2.5 mg/kg per day, double-sloping hatched bars), or telmisartan (TELMI, 2 mg/kg per day, horizontal hatched bars) ; m±sem. p values for two-way ANOVA (n = 7–9) p_interaction 0.018, p_cande 0.012, p_pio 0.009 Bonferroni post-test: * p<0.05 <i>vs</i> SHR, † p<0.05 <i>vs</i> PIO, $: p<0.05 <i>vs</i> CANDE t-tests for TELMI: * p<0.05 <i>vs</i> SHR, † p<0.05 <i>vs</i> PIO,$: p<0.05 <i>vs</i> CANDE.</p