Epidemiologic studies have indicated that chronic hypertension may facilitate the progression of abnormal behavior, such as emotional irritability, hyperactivity, and attention impairment. However, the mechanism of how chronic hypertension affects the brain and neuronal function remains unclear. In this study, 58-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and age-matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) control rats were used. Their locomotor activity and neuronal function were assessed by the open field test, novel object, and Y maze recognition test. Moreover brain tissues were analyzed. We found that the aged SHR exhibited significant locomotor hyperactivity when compared to the WKY rats. However, there was no significant difference in novel object and novel arm recognition between aged SHR and the WKY rats. In the analysis of synaptic membrane protein, the expression of glutamatergic receptors, such as the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor receptors subunits 2B (GluN2B) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor 1 (GluA1) in the hippocampus of SHR were significantly higher than those of WKY rats. In addition, in the synaptic membrane of SHR's hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a down-regulation of astrocytes was found, though the excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) remained constant. Moreover, a down-regulation of microglia in the hippocampus and mPFC was seen in the SHR brain. Long-term exposure to high blood pressure causes upregulation of glutamate receptors. The upregulation of glutamatergic receptors in hippocampus may contribute to the hyper-locomotor activity of aged rodents and may as a therapeutic target in hypertension-induced irritability and hyperactivity.

流行病学研究表明，慢性高血压可能促进异常行为的进展，如情绪烦躁、多动和注意力障碍。然而，慢性高血压如何影响大脑和神经元功能的机制仍不清楚。在这项研究中，使用了 58 周大的雄性自发性高血压大鼠 (SHR) 和年龄匹配的 Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) 对照大鼠。他们的运动活动和神经元功能通过旷场测试、新物体和Y迷宫识别测试进行评估。此外，还分析了脑组织。我们发现，与 WKY 大鼠相比，老年 SHR 表现出明显的运动过度活跃。然而，老年SHR和WKY大鼠在新物体和新手臂识别方面没有显着差异。在突触膜蛋白分析中，谷氨酸受体的表达，如 N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸 (NMDA) 受体亚基 2B (GluN2B) 和 α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic SHR海马酸（AMPA）受体1（GluA1）显着高于WKY大鼠。此外，在 SHR 的海马和内侧前额叶皮层 (mPFC) 的突触膜中，发现了星形胶质细胞的下调，尽管兴奋性氨基酸转运蛋白 2 (EAAT2) 保持不变。此外，在 SHR 大脑中观察到海马和 mPFC 中小胶质细胞的下调。长期暴露于高血压会导致谷氨酸受体上调。