Supplementary Material for: Morphometric and functional evaluation of non-renal vasculature in female and male PKD/Mhm (Cy/+) Rats

Background: Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a genetic disorder characterized by renal enlargement due to cyst formation. Besides cystic complications, patients with autosomal dominant PKD (ADPKD) can develop vascular abnormalities. We investigated the impact of ADPKD on aortic morphometry and function in female and male PKD rats. Method: Thoracic aortic rings were obtained from six-month-old female (n=10; 307±4g) and male (n=10; 470±24g) PKD/Mhm (Cy/+) rats, as well as age-matched control-female (n=9; 312±6g) and control-male (+/+) (n=13; 460±14g) rats. Vascular function was evaluated ex vivo using organ baths. Biomarkers of renal function were evaluated and histology was performed. Results: PKD-female and PKD-male rats showed elevated serum creatinine levels compared to their respective controls (PKD-female: 50.0±1.7μmol/L vs. control-female: 43.9±2.1μmol/L; PKD-male: 178.7±21.0μmol/L vs. control-male: 40.4±1.3μmol/L, p