Grant: Operating Grant

Hypertension is one of the most common diseases. So far, very little is known about the genes whose defects can cause inherited hypertension in the majority of human populations. Because naturally existing human populations are genetically heterogeneous and because environmental factors impacting on how hypertension occurs are impossible to be controlled in any given population, it has been difficult to identify hypertension genes by directly studying humans. As an alternative, inbred animal models can be experimentally manipulated and, therefore, can be more aptly utilized to identify genes. It is expected that some of theses genes may be extrapolated to humans. One animal model for hypertension is the inbred spontaneously hypertension Dahl salt-sensitive rats. Our overall objective is to identify hypertension genes using this particular strain of rat. The current research is to pursue molecular identifications of multiple genes on Chromosome 10 which have human homologues.