Dietary Sodium in the Development of Renal Hypertension 1

Summary

The evolution of experimental renal hypertension was studied in rats on a sodium deficient diet (50 mg/kg) as compared to those on the same diet with 0.6% sodium added and also with sham operated controls on the two diets. On the low sodium diet, hypertension emerged more gradually and at 8 weeks, the blood pressure was significantly lower than those with the normal intake. The mean difference, however, was only 18 mm Hg. The experimental animals on the sodium-deficient diet weighed less than those on the normal diet. In control animals without a clip on the renal artery, there was no difference, according to diet, in weight gain or indeed in blood pressure.