Three-month-old male C57BL/6J mice were obtained from Jackson Laboratories (Bar Harbor, ME, USA). This study was approved by the University of Arizona Animal Care Committee and conforms to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals published by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH Publication No. 85–23, revised 1996). All mice were randomly divided into placebo and three treatment groups.
A two by two study design was used to determine the effects of Ang II and BAPN on vascular stiffness. The BAPN (β-aminopropionitrile, Sigma-Aldrich) groups were pre-treated for 1 week prior to any test conducted. BAPN was dissolved into drinking water at a dosage of 1.5g/L ad libitum. Ang II was administered with a subcutaneous Alzet micro-osmotic pump (Durect Corporation, Cupertino, CA) releasing the Ang II receptor type I (AT1) agonist [Val5]Ang II (Sigma) at a rate of 490ng/kg/min. Control groups also received the pumps filled with vehicle (PBS). On Day 14, the mice were sacrificed for descriptive analyses.
A two by two study design was used to determine the effects of Ang II and BAPN on vascular stiffness. The BAPN (β-aminopropionitrile, Sigma-Aldrich) groups were pre-treated for 1 week prior to any test conducted. BAPN was dissolved into drinking water at a dosage of 1.5g/L ad libitum. Ang II was administered with a subcutaneous Alzet micro-osmotic pump (Durect Corporation, Cupertino, CA) releasing the Ang II receptor type I (AT1) agonist [Val5]Ang II (Sigma) at a rate of 490ng/kg/min. Control groups also received the pumps filled with vehicle (PBS). On Day 14, the mice were sacrificed for descriptive analyses.