WKHA

Inbr. F21 (1991).

Colour: Albino,

Genet. c.

Origin: From a cross between SHR and WKY with selection for high spontaneous activity and low systolic blood pressure.

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Characteristics

Studies of this strain suggest that the exaggerated sympathetic-adrenal medullary response to acute stress found in SHR is associated with hyperactivity found also in WKHA rather than hypertension (Hendley et al 1988, Knardahl and Hendley 1990, Hendley and Fan, 1992). Both SHR and WKHA show increased reactivity to stimuli, with WKHA reacting particularly to novel aversive stimuli (Sagvolden et al, 1992). See also Fan et al, (1995).

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Fan X. M., Hendley E. D., and Forehand C. J. (1995) Enhanced vascular neuropeptideYy-immunoreactive innervation in 2 hypertensive rat strains. Hypertension 26, 758-763.

Hendley E. D., Cierpial M. A., and MacCarthy R. (1988) Sympathetic-adrenal medullary response to stress in hyperactive and hypertensive rats. Physiol. Behav. 44, 47-51.

Hendley E. D. and Fan X. M. (1992) Regional differences in brain norepinephrine and dopamine uptake kinetics in inbred rat strains with hypertension and or hyperactivity. Brain Res. 586, 44-52.

Knardahl S. and Hendley E. D. (1990) Association between cardiovascular reactivity to stress and hypertension or behavior. Am. J. Physiol. (Heart Circ. Physiol.) 28, H248-H257.

Sagvolden T., Hendley E. D., and Knardahl S. (1992) Behavior of hypertensive and hyperactive rat strains - hyperactivity is not unitarily determined. Physiol. Behav. 52, 49-57.

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INBRED STRAINS OF RATS
Updated 9 Apr. 1998
Michael FW Festing
MRC Toxicology Unit, Hodgkin Building,
University of Leicester, UK