Abstract-Evidence exists that protein kinase C and the mammalian target of rapamycin are important regulators of cardiac hypertrophy. We examined the contribution of these signaling kinases to cardiac growth in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs

High fat diets can attenuate cardiac hypertrophy in Dahl Salt Sensitive rats (DSS), a model of severe hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy & dysfunction, independent of changes in blood pressure. We hypothesized that a high fat diet can prevent hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), a model of gradually increasing hypertension. Five‐week old SHR and Wistar Kyoto (WKY; normotensive control) rats were fed either a low fat (LF) or high fat (HF) diet with 10% and 60% of Calories from lard, respectively, for 10 weeks. In contrast to our hypothesis, cardiac hypertrophy was unchanged in SHR HF vs. SHR LF but, surprisingly, blood pressure was lower in SHR HF. Pooled statistical analysis also indicated lower plasma glucose (2 h fast) in HF vs. LF rats. These data indicate a markedly different response to high fat diets in the SHR vs. those previously reported in the DSS rats.(Different letters denote significant differences at p<0.05)