The Role of T Cells in the Hypertension of the Female Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rat

Abstract

Hypertension (HT) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and affects 1 billion men and women globally. The underlying cause of HT in women is far less studied than in men. Hence it is critically important to investigate the mechanisms of HT that underlie CVD in women. Recently the immune system has been shown to play a major role in HT; numerous studies in male animals suggest that T cells contribute to the pathogenesis of HT in part through renal injury as a result of T cell infiltration. Less is known regarding the role of T cells in animal models of HT in females. In this study, we found that female Rapp (Jr) salt-sensitive (SS) rats recently purchased from Envigo (ENV), formerly Harlan (Hsd) and maintained on a low sodium diet rapidly developed HT within 12 weeks (wks) of age. Radio telemetry confirmed that 1 month old (mo) SS/JrHsd rats obtained from ENV (referred to as SS) had normal mean arterial pressure (MAP) [(mmHg): 100 ± 1; n=13]. Blood pressure rapidly increased with age and was significantly higher in 4 mo SS rats compared to age matched normotensive salt-resistant rats SR/JrHsd (referred to as SR) [MAP (mmHg): SR, 103 ± 2 vs. SS, 160 ± 11; p