Tunica media extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling is well understood to occur in response to elevated blood pressure, unlike the remodeling of other tunicae. We hypothesize that perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) is responsive to hypertension and remodels as a protective measure. The adventitia and PVAT of the thoracic aorta were used in measuring ECM genes from 5 pairs of Dahl SS male rats on 8 or 24 weeks of feeding from weaning on a control (10% Kcal fat) or high fat (HF; 60%) diet. A PCR array of ECM genes was performed with cDNA from adventitia and PVAT after 8 and 24 weeks. A gene regulatory network of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (HF 2-fold > Con) was created using Cytoscape. After 8 weeks, 29 adventitia but 0 PVAT DEGs were found. By contrast, at 24 weeks, PVAT possessed 47 DEGs while adventitia had 3. Top DEGs at 8 weeks in adventitia were thrombospondin 1 and collagen 8a1. At 24 weeks, thrombospondin 1 was also a top DEG in PVAT. The transcription factor Adarb1 was identified as a regulator of DEGs in 8 week adventitia and 24 week PVAT. These data support that PVAT responds biologically once blood pressure is elevated.
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