Chromosome 2 reciprocal congenic strains to evaluate the effect of the genetic background on blood pressure.

The localisation of quantitative trait loci (QTL) is the first step towards gene identification. This is then verified by the construction of reciprocal congenic strains. The hypertensive SHRSP and normotensive WKY strains were used in a speed congenic approach to confirm the existence of a QTL on rat chromosome 2. Systolic baseline and salt loaded blood pressures were measured by radiotelemetry. Transfer of the chromosome 2 blood pressure QTL region from WKY into an SHRSP background significantly reduced blood pressure, with the increased significance at the salt loaded period, compared to the SHRSP. The reciprocal congenic blood pressure showed a significantly increased baseline systolic pressure compared to the WKY, with no change in significance at the salt loaded period. Thus we have successfully captured a gene(s) which contribute to blood pressure regulation in both congenic strains. This will facilitate further positional cloning of the causative genes first in this model and then in human essential hypertension.

Altered Na+-K+ pump activity and plasma lipids in salt-hypertensive Dahl rats: relationship to Atp1a1 gene.

A genetic variant of the gene for the alpha(1)-isoform of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase (Atp1a1) was suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of salt hypertension in Dahl rats through altered Na(+):K(+) coupling ratio. We studied Na(+)-K(+) pump activity in erythrocytes of Dahl salt-sensitive (SS/Jr) rats in relation to plasma lipids and blood pressure (BP) and the linkage of polymorphic microsatellite marker D2Arb18 (located within intron 1 and exon 2 of Atp1a1 gene) with various phenotypes in 130 SS/Jr x SR/Jr F(2) rats. Salt-hypertensive SS/Jr rats had higher erythrocyte Na(+) content, enhanced ouabain-sensitive (OS) Na(+) and Rb(+) transport, and higher Na(+):Rb(+) coupling ratio of the Na(+)-K(+) pump. BP of F(2) hybrids correlated with erythrocyte Na(+) content, OS Na(+) extrusion, and OS Na(+):Rb(+) coupling ratio, but not with OS Rb(+) uptake. In F(2) hybrids there was a significant association indicating suggestive linkage (P < 0.005, LOD score 2.5) of an intragenic marker D2Arb18 with pulse pressure but not with mean arterial pressure or any parameter of Na(+)-K(+) pump activity (including its Na(+):Rb(+) coupling ratio). In contrast, plasma cholesterol, which was elevated in salt-hypertensive Dahl rats and which correlated with BP in F(2) hybrids, was also positively associated with OS Na(+) extrusion. The abnormal Na(+):K(+) stoichiometry of the Na(+)-K(+) pump is a consequence of elevated erythrocyte Na(+) content and suppressed OS Rb(+):K(+) exchange. In conclusion, abnormal cholesterol metabolism but not the Atp1a1 gene locus might represent an important factor for both high BP and altered Na(+)-K(+) pump function in salt-hypertensive Dahl rats.

Mapping and sequencing rat dishevelled-1: a candidate gene for cerebral ischaemic insult in a rat model of stroke.

A quantitative trait locus on chromosome 5 in the rat is linked to sensitivity to brain ischemia in the stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHRSP). The genes encoding atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) that map to this location have been excluded as candidate genes. We examined dishevelled-1 (DVL-1) as a further candidate gene. DVL-1 had not yet been identified in the rat, but Anp, Bnp, and DVL-1 map to the homologous regions of the rat chromosome 5 quantitative trait locus in both mice and man. Furthermore, DVL-1 is involved in the Notch signalling system, which plays a role in the disorder cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy, the symptoms of, which include ischaemic stroke. We show with radiation hybrid mapping that rat DVL-1 indeed maps to chromosome 5, where it is positioned immediately next to microsatellite marker D5Rat49. We sequenced the complete coding sequence and a large part of the intronic genomic sequence for the SHRSP strain and its reference Wistar-Kyoto strain. The DVL-1 sequence in the two strains was identical. Our results essentially exclude the DVL-1 gene as the cause for sensitivity to cerebral ischaemic insult in this rat model of stroke.

Reciprocal consomic strains to evaluate y chromosome effects.

We have previously demonstrated that the SHRSP Y chromosome contains a locus that contributes to hypertension in SHRSP/WKY F2 hybrids and that SHRSP exhibit an increased vulnerability to focal cerebral ischemia after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). This increased vulnerability is inherited as a codominant trait, and a putative role for the Y chromosome has been suggested in F1 hybrids. The objective of this study was to investigate further the role of Y chromosome in blood pressure (BP) regulation and in the vulnerability to cerebral ischemia. We have constructed consomic strains by selectively replacing the Y chromosome from WKY rats with that of SHRSP, and vice versa, by using a marker-assisted breeding strategy. Permanent MCAO was carried out by electrocoagulation, with infarct volume expressed as a percentage of the ipsilateral hemisphere. Systolic blood pressure was measured by radiotelemetry during a baseline period of 5 weeks followed by a 3-week period of salt loading. We observed that the transfer of the Y chromosome from WKY onto SHRSP background significantly reduced systolic BP in consomic strains, SP.WKYGlaY(w) (n=6) versus SHRSP (n=6) (209.2+/-10.4 mm Hg versus 241.7+/-7.7 mm Hg, F=5.88, P=0.038) during the salt-loading period. In the reciprocal consomic strain, WKY.SPGlaY(s) (n=5), systolic BP was increased compared with WKY parental strain (n=6) (147.6+/-2.4 mm Hg versus 132.6+/-5.1 mm Hg, F=6.11, P=0.035) during baseline. Infarct volumes in consomic strains were not significantly different from their respective parental strain: WKY.SPGlaY(s) (n=7) versus WKY (n=7), 22.8+/-3.7% versus 22.2+/-8.0%, 95% CI=-12.7, 4.2, P=0.3; SP.WKYGlaY(w) (n=7) versus SHRSP (n=6), 37.7+/-4.4% versus 33.6+/-7.6%, 95% CI=-20.3, 12.1, P=0.5. We conclude that the SHRSP Y chromosome harbors a locus contributing to systolic BP, whereas no contribution to vulnerability to cerebral ischemia can be detected.

Applicability of a "speed" congenic strategy to dissect blood pressure quantitative trait loci on rat chromosome 2.

The identification of any quantitative trait locus (QTL) via a genome scan is only the first step toward the ultimate goal of gene identification. The next step is the production of congenic strains by which the existence of a QTL may be verified and the implicated chromosomal region be reduced to a size applicable to positional cloning of the causal gene. We used a speed congenic breeding protocol previously verified in mice for 2 blood pressure QTLs on rat chromosome 2. Four congenic strains were produced through introgression of various segments of chromosome 2 from Wistar-Kyoto rats from Glasgow colonies [WKY((Gla)) rats] into the recipient stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats from Glasgow colonies [SHRSP((Gla))], and vice versa. The number of backcross generations required for each strain to achieve complete homozygosity at 83 background genetic markers in a "best" male varied between 3 and 4. Transfer of the region of rat chromosome 2 containing both QTLs from WKY((Gla)) into an SHRSP((Gla)) genetic background lowered both baseline and salt-loaded systolic blood pressure by approximately 20 and approximately 40 mm Hg in male congenic rats compared with the SHRSP parental strain (F=53.4, P<0.005; F=28.0, P< 0.0005, respectively). In contrast, control animals for stowaway heterozygosity presented no deviation from the blood pressure values recorded for the SHRSP((Gla)), indicating that if such heterozygosity exists, its effect on blood pressure is negligible. A reciprocal strategy in which 1 or both QTLs on rat chromosome 2 were transferred from SHRSP((Gla)) into a WKY((Gla)) genetic background resulted in statistically significant but smaller blood pressure increases for 1 of these QTLs. These results confirm the existence of blood pressure QTLs on rat chromosome 2 and demonstrate the applicability of a speed congenic strategy in the rat and emphasize the important role of the genetic background.

Genes encoding atrial and brain natriuretic peptides as candidates for sensitivity to brain ischemia in stroke-prone hypertensive rats.

-Previous studies suggested that atrial natriuretic peptide gene (Anp) and brain natriuretic peptide gene (Bnp) are plausible candidate genes for susceptibility to stroke and for sensitivity to brain ischemia in the stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHRSP). We performed structural and functional analyses of these 2 genes in SHRSP from Glasgow colonies (SHRSPGla) and Wistar-Kyoto rats from Glasgow colonies (WKYGla) and developed a radiation hybrid map of the relevant region of rat chromosome 5. Sequencing of the coding regions of the Anp and Bnp genes revealed no difference between the 2 strains. Expression studies in brain tissue showed no differences at baseline and at 24 hours after middle cerebral artery occlusion. Plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) did not differ between the SHRSPGla and WKYGla, whereas concentrations of brain natriuretic peptide were significantly higher in the SHRSPGla as compared with the WKYGla (n=11 to 14; 163+/-21 pg/mL and 78+/-14 pg/mL; 95% confidence interval 31 to 138, P=0.003). We did not detect any attenuation of endothelium-dependent relaxations to bradykinin or ANP in middle cerebral arteries from the SHRSPGla; indeed the sensitivity to ANP was significantly increased in arteries harvested from this strain (WKYGla: n=8; pD2=7. 3+/-0.2 and SHRSPGla: n=8; pD2=8.2+/-0.15; P<0.01). Moreover, radiation hybrid mapping and fluorescence in situ hybridization allowed us to map the Anf marker in the telomeric position of rat chromosome 5 in close proximity to D5Rat48, D5Rat47, D5Mgh15, and D5Mgh16. These results exclude Anp and Bnp as candidate genes for the sensitivity to brain ischemia and pave the way to further congenic and physical mapping strategies.

Genetics of experimental hypertension.

Experimental models of genetic hypertension are used to develop paradigms to study human essential hypertension while removing some of the complexity inherent in the study of human subjects. Since 1991 several quantitative trait loci responsible for blood pressure regulation have been identified in various rat crosses. More recently, a series of interesting quantitative trait loci influencing cardiac hypertrophy, stroke, metabolic syndrome and renal damage has also been described. It is recognized that the identification of large chromosomal regions containing a quantitative trait locus is only a first step towards gene identification. The next step is the production of congenic strains and substrains to confirm the existence of the quantitative trait locus and to narrow down the chromosomal region of interest. Several congenic strains have already been produced, with further refinement of the methodology currently in progress. The ultimate goal is to achieve positional cloning of the causal gene, a task which has so far been elusive. There are several areas of cross-fertilization between experimental and human genetics of hypertension, with a successful transfer of two loci directly from rats to humans and with new pharmacogenetic approaches which may be utilized in both experimental and clinical settings.