Chronology of blood pressure changes in renal hypertension induced by solid plexiglass clips in the rat

The objective of this study was to determine the chronology of changes in blood pressure in renal hypertension induced by solid plexiglass clips in rats. Saw blades with the thickness of 0.21-0.22 mm were used to make clips sized 4^2 2 mm from a piece of 2-mm thick plexiglass. Rats were subjected to sham-operation or left renal arterial clipping, and 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks later blood pressure, and heart and kidneys weights were determined. Relative to those of sham-operated rats, mean blood pressure of left renal artery-clipped rats were significantly higher at week 1 through 4 after clipping. Left renal artery clipping was also associated with significant increases in heart and right kidney weights and significant decrease in left kidney weight. The findings suggest that clipping of left renal artery using solid plexiglass clips resulted in changes in blood pressure, heart and left and right kidneys weights similar to reported changes in hypertension induced by silver clips.