Differential Regulation of Vascular Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme in Hypertension

gene is found on the locus that has been linked to high blood pressure after sodium loading in rats, so in the present study we investigated the role of vascular ACE for the pathophysi-ology of hypertension in the corresponding parental strains, Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP), in basal conditions at different ages and after sodium loading. Blood pressure was already significantly enhanced in SHRSP from 4 weeks of age, and sodium loading induced an additional increase only in the hypertensive strain. In the aorta, basal ACE gene expression, analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and ACE activity were similar in both strains, whereas mRNA levels were elevated in SHRSP after salt compared with WKY rats and correlated with an increase in enzymatic activity. In Jk ngiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) is a zin