Figure 4. Early stage hypertension and diabetes exacerbate oxidative stress and inflammation. A: Plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels were higher in the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) alone group by 4.5 fold, whereas the combined diabetic spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR+D) group plasma levels were higher by 6.5 fold when compared to control W group (n=6, *p<0.05). There was a 1.53 fold difference in plasma TBARS levels between the SHR+D and SHR groups (#p<0.05). B: Retinal lipid peroxides were higher in the SHR group by 1.43 fold and in the SHR+D group by 1.69 fold (n=4, *p<0.05). C: Plasma sICAM-1 were higher in the SHR alone group by 1.25 fold and in the combined SHR+D group by 1.9 fold when compared to control W group (n=6, *p<0.05). There was also a 0.65 fold difference in sICAM-1 plasma levels between the SHR+D and SHR groups (p<0.05).