Klk1 as one of the genes contributing to hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive rat.

A genome-wide quantitative trait loci analysis for blood pressure was performed using 107 male F2 rats derived from Dahl salt-sensitive and Lewis rats. Blood pressure was assessed by telemetry, and >400 microsatellite markers were used for genotyping. Two major quantitative trait loci for blood pressure were identified at chromosome 1 and chromosome 10. The expression levels of 366 transcripts around the chromosome 1 quantitative trait loci were assessed by RT-PCR, and we found that the Klk1 (kallikrein 1) and Ngfg (nerve growth factor gamma) mRNA levels were significantly reduced in the kidneys of Dahl salt-sensitive rats compared with those in Lewis rats. The expression levels of kallikrein 1 protein were also suppressed in Dahl salt-sensitive rats compared with those in Lewis rats. Because the kallikrein-kinin system has been shown to be involved in renal function, including salt homeostasis, it is likely that the reduced expression of Klk1 contributes to salt-sensitive hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.