The ventricular fibrosis was related to an increase of the alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) expression (Fig. 4A) in the heart of SHR compared to age-matched WKY, but it was not associated with the modulation of latent form of the transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) (Fig. 4B). Here, TGFB1 is linked to fibrosis.