2.1. Experimental protocol

Renovascular hypertension 2-kidney, 1-clip (model, 2K1C) was induced as previously described by Goldblatt et al. [17]. Male Wistar rats weighing 180–200 g (n = 17) were anesthetized intraperitoneally with ketamine (100 mg/kg) and xylazine (10 mg/kg) and a U-shaped silver clip with an internal diameter of 0.2 mm was placed around the left renal artery (2K1C/hypertensive group, n = 10). The Sham group (normotensive, n = 7) performed the same surgical procedure, but except the insertion of the clip into the renal artery.

Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was evaluated using tail plethysmography, in the awake animals after they were heated in a cabinet at 37 °C for 15 min. The pressure change data were captured by a Power Lab 4/S analog-to-digital converter (AD Instruments Ltd., Castle Hill, Australia) and the results were represented as the average of three consecutive measurements for each animal. Before the first measurement, for 5 days, the animals were adapted to the procedure to minimize stress-induced SBP fluctuations. The animals were considered hypertensive when systolic blood pressure was above 160 mmHg [18]. In this study, 17% of animals were not considered hypertensive. Systolic blood pressure and body mass were evaluated weekly for 4 weeks, and then the animals were euthanized, and the organs removed.