Abstract Body: High salt intake represents an important risk factor for the development of hypertension. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the impacts of high salt intake on cardiovascular and arterial parameters in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), through pulse wave velocity analysis. Male Wistar rats and SHR were divided into groups drinking water Control (Wistar/C and SHR/C), or Salt (1% NaCl Wistar/S and SHR/S). Rats underwent measurement of systolic blood pressure (SBP) at baseline, 30 and 60 days by plethysmography. After 60 days, rats were catheterized (carotid and femoral arteries) for haemodynamic measurements. The non-invasive SBP was enhanced in SHR after 30 days of salt treatment (SHR/C 200 ± 5.2 vs. SHR/S 218 ± 3.2 mmHg, P<0.01) as at 60 days (SHR/C 206 ± 5.8 vs. SHR/S 225 ± 3.3 mmHg, P<0.05). Arterial stiffness was augmented in SHR rats with 60 days of salt treatment, corresponding to 8% in the pulse wave velocity measurement (SHR/C 6.2 ± 0.2 vs. SHR/S 6.7 ± 0.3 m /s), and 11% in pulse pressure (SHR/C 54 ± 1.3 vs. SHR/S 60 ± 1.7 mmHg). These findings support the hypothesis that high salt intake is related to detrimental haemodynamic and arterial stiffness in SHR and highlights potential novel mechanism enrolled on the pathogenesis and progression of hypertension.