BLOOD-PRESSURE COSEGREGATES WITH A MICROSATELLITE OF ANGIOTENSIN-I CONVERTING ENZYME (ACE) IN F2 GENERATION FROM A CROSS BETWEEN ORIGINAL NORMOTENSIVE WISTAR-KYOTO RAT (WKY) AND STROKE-PRONE SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RAT (SHRSP)

We investigated the linkage between high blood pressure and the ACE gene in the F2 generation between SHRSP Izm and WKY Izm. The male F2 rats were categorized into 3 genotypes according to a microsatellite polymorphism in the ACE gene. Significantly high blood pressure was observed in the SHRSP homozygotes when it was compared to the blood pressure of the heterozygotes. Further, after 2 or 3 months salt-loading, the blood pressure was significantly higher in the SHRSP homozygotes than in the heterozygotes and the WKY homozygotes. The heterozygotes had a blood pressure similar to that in the WKY homozygotes, indicating that the effect of the ACE gene genotype was recessive. Salt appetite was neither correlated with the salt-sensitivity nor cosegregated with the ACE genotype. The results indicate that the locus of ACE gene associated with the development of hypertension, especially salt-sensitive hypertension. © 1991.