【Abstract】Objective To propose the formation of salt-sensitive hypertension and heart cell damage. Methods: Wistar rats, capsaicin was injected and high salt diet was feeded, the model of salt-sensitive hypertension was established. the change of heart histopathology were observed, spectrophotometry to detect heart iNOS activity and NO content; immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of eNOS and iNOS protein in heart, the expression of eNOS and iNOS mRNA in heart was determined by RT-PCR, the level of apoptosis was assessed by single cell gel electrophoresis. Results: The rats body weight was not significant difference among groups at the end of the experiment (P>0.05). The capsaicin-high salt diet group systolic blood pressure was significantly higher than the other three groups (P<0.05) in 2, 3, 4 weeks. Capsaicin-high salt diet group cardiac muscle cell hypertrophy, muscle fiber disarrangement, nuclei arranged in irregular. The activity of iNOS and level of NO in capsaicin-high salt diet group significantly were higher when compared with control group. eNOS protein and eNOS mRNA significantly decreased compared with control group (P <0.01) iNOS protein and iNOS mRNA of capsaicin-high salt diet group were significantly increased compared with control group (P <0.01) in heart. The number of apoptotic cells of capsaicin-high salt diet group significantly increased compared with control group (P <0.05). Conclusions: The decreased express of eNOS mRNA and protein was related with the forming of salt-sensitive hypertension. The increased express of iNOS mRNA and protein could produce a large number of NO in heart. NO may make the cell apoptosis increasing and the damage of heart in salt-sensitive hypertensive rats.