scholarly journals Splenectomy decreases blood pressure and abolishes sex differences in renal Tregs in spontaneously hypertensive rats

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen E Gillis ◽  
Kasey Belanger ◽  
Mahmoud Abdelbary ◽  
Riyaz Mohamed ◽  
Jingping Sun ◽  
...  

Over the past decade there has been increasing support for a role of the immune system in the development of hypertension. Our lab has previously reported that female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) have a blood pressure (BP)-dependent increase in anti-inflammatory renal regulatory T cells (Tregs), corresponding to lower BP compared to males. However, little is known regarding the mechanism for greater renal Tregs in females. The current study was designed to test the hypothesis that the greater relative abundance of renal Tregs in female SHR is due to greater Treg production. To test this hypothesis, T cell profiles were measured in the spleen by flow cytometry in male and female SHR at 5 weeks and 14 weeks of age.  Splenic Tregs did not differ between males and females, suggesting sex differences in renal Tregs is not due to differences in production. To assess the role of the spleen in sex differences in renal Tregs and BP control, rats were randomized to receive sham surgery (CON) or splenectomy (SPLNX, n=6) at 12 wks of age and implanted with telemeters to measure BP. After 2 weeks, kidneys were harvested for flow cytometric analysis of T cells. Splenectomy increased BP in both sexes after 2 weeks. Renal Tregs decreased in both sexes after splenectomy, abolishing the sex differences in renal Tregs. In conclusion, splenic Tregs were comparable in male and female SHR, suggesting that sex differences in renal Tregs is due to differences in renal Treg recruitment, not Treg production.

2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (1) ◽  
pp. R229-R233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Licy L. Yanes ◽  
Damian G. Romero ◽  
Valeria E. Cucchiarelli ◽  
Lourdes A. Fortepiani ◽  
Celso E. Gomez-Sanchez ◽  
...  

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women after menopause. Hypertension, a major cardiovascular risk factor, becomes more prevalent after menopause. The mechanisms responsible for the increase in blood pressure (BP) in postmenopausal women are unknown. We have recently characterized the aged, postestrous-cycling (PMR) spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) as a model of postmenopausal hypertension. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether endothelin plays a role in the increased BP in PMR. Premenopausal female SHR, aged 4–5 mo (YF), and PMR, aged 16 mo, were studied. Expression of preproendothelin-1 mRNA was not different in either renal cortex or medulla between PMR and YF ( n = 7–8/group). In contrast, ET-1 peptide expression was significantly higher in renal cortex of PMR than in renal cortex of YF, but there was no difference in medullary ET-1. Expression of endothelin ETA receptor (ETAR) mRNA was lower in renal cortex and medulla of PMR than of YF. Additional groups of rats ( n = 6–7/group) were treated for 3 wk with the ETAR antagonist ABT-627 (5 mg·kg−1·day−1). BP was significantly higher in PMR than in YF. ETAR antagonist reduced BP in PMR by 20% to the level found in control YF. ETAR antagonist had no effect on BP in YF. These data support the hypothesis that the increase in BP in PMR is mediated in part by endothelin and the ETAR.


1982 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 154-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshiko Masubuchi ◽  
Toshio Kumai ◽  
Akiyo Uematsu ◽  
Kenji Komoriyama ◽  
Masanao Hirai

Abstract. Adult male and female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-Okamoto, Kyoto) were gonadectomized when they were 17 weeks old. Intact SHR showed a progressive increase of their blood pressure with growth, attaining systolic pressure levels of 194–208 in males and 163–173 mmHg in females when they were 29–30 weeks old. During this same period, the gonadectomized animals showed a significant reduction in blood pressure ranging from 168–175 in males and from 158–163 mmHg in females. These studies indicate that male and female SHR gonadectomized at 17 weeks of age do not show the progressive blood pressure rise that occurs in intact SHR. There was no change in heart rate in either sex. Corticosterone (B) levels in plasma were increased in the orchidectomized males, and 18-OH-DOC levels in plasma were increased in the adrenal glands of ovariectomized females indicating that these hormonal changes probably do not play a role in SHR hypertension. It appears that gonadal and other hormones are involved in the pathogenesis of SHR hypertension.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheon Mary ◽  
Philipp Boder ◽  
Giacomo Rossitto ◽  
Lesley Graham ◽  
Kayley Scott ◽  
...  

Uromodulin (UMOD) is the most abundant renal protein secreted into urine by the thick ascending limb (TAL) epithelial cells of the loop of Henle. Genetic studies have demonstrated an association between UMOD risk variants and hypertension. We aimed to dissect the role of dietary salt in renal UMOD excretion in normotension and chronic hypertension. Normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) (n=8/sex/strain) were maintained on 1% NaCl for three weeks. A subset of salt-loaded SHRSP was treated with nifedipine. Salt-loading in SHRSP increased blood pressure (ΔSBP 35 ± 5 mmHg, p<0.0001) and kidney injury markers such as KIM-1 (fold change, FC 3.4; p=0.003), NGAL (FC, 2.0; p=0.012) and proteinuria. After salt-loading there was a reduction in urinary UMOD excretion in WKY and SHRSP by 26% and 55% respectively, compared to baseline. Nifedipine treatment reduced blood pressure in SHRSP, however, did not prevent salt-induced reduction in urinary UMOD excretion. In all experiments, changes in urinary UMOD excretion were dissociated from kidney UMOD protein and mRNA levels. Colocalization and ex-vivo studies showed that salt-loading increased intracellular UMOD retention in both WKY and SHRSP. Our study provides novel insights into the interplay between salt, UMOD, and blood pressure. The role of UMOD as a cardiovascular risk marker deserves mechanistic reappraisal and further investigations based on our findings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 319 (3) ◽  
pp. F359-F365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen E. Gillis ◽  
Jacqueline B. Musall ◽  
Babak Baban ◽  
Jennifer C. Sullivan

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that induces nitric oxide (NO) production. IL-10 supplementation has been previously shown to lower blood pressure (BP) in male hypertensive mice, but the effect of exogenous IL-10 in hypertensive female rodents has not been studied. For the present study, we hypothesized that chronic infusion of IL-10 in hypertensive rats would lower BP concomitant with an increase in renal NO synthase (NOS) activity. Male and female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs; 12 wk old) were randomized to receive IL-10 infusion by subcutaneous minipump (3.5 µg·kg−1·day−1) or serve as sham controls ( n = 4–6 rats per treatment per sex). BP was measured by tail cuff before and after 2 wk of treatment. Renal T cells and IL-10 were measured by flow cytometry, and NOS activity was determined by conversion of radiolabeled arginine to radiolabeled citrulline. Female SHRs had greater IL-10+ renal cells than male SHRs and greater expression of the IL-10 receptor at baseline. BP did not change in female SHRs treated with IL-10, but BP significantly decreased following IL-10 infusion in male SHRs. Contrary to our hypothesis, NOS enzymatic activity decreased with IL-10 treatment in the renal inner medulla and cortex of both sexes. Renal regulatory T cells also decreased in both sexes after IL-10 treatment. In conclusion, despite male SHRs having less IL-10 and IL-10 receptor expression in the kidney compared with female SHRs, exogenous IL-10 selectively decreased BP only in male SHRs. Furthermore, our data suggest that exogenous IL-10-induced decreases in BP in male SHRs are not dependent on upregulating renal NOS activity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Yang Wang ◽  
Lili Zhang ◽  
Li Li ◽  
Hantong Hu ◽  
Pan Pan ◽  
...  

The present study investigated the effects of electroacupuncture on blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) by regulating the immune balance of T helper 17 cells (Th17 cells) and regulatory T cells (Treg cells). This study investigated the role of electroacupuncture in the immune balance of SHRs using Western blot, flow cytometry, and ELISA techniques. Electroacupuncture significantly improved blood pressure, downregulated the expression of RORγt, and upregulated the expression of Foxp3, reduced the production of Th17 cells, promoted the production of Treg cells, reduced the secretion of IL-6 and IL-17, and increased the secretion of TGF-β1 and IL-10. These findings suggest that electroacupuncture therapy effectively improved the systolic blood pressure of SHRs, and its mechanism may be related to promotion of the immune balance between Th17 and Treg.


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