One feature of this model is that strokes develop spontaneously following severe hypertension (more than 150 mmHg). Therefore, in SHRSP, because strokes develop after the onset of elevated blood pressure, elevated blood pressure is considered to be the most critical factor for stroke induction. However, interestingly, the neuronal cells of this model exhibit a great vulnerability compared with normal control WKY/Izm rats during the reoxygenation conditions following hypoxia (Tagami et al., 1998; Yamagata et al., 2010c). In addition to the influence of blood pressure in SHRSP/Izm rats, the neuronal vulnerability of this model strongly contributes to stroke development. SHRSP/Izm rats are susceptible to apoptosis under conditions of hypoxia and.
