Genetic control of the corticosterone level at rest and under emotional stress in ISIAH rats with inherited stress-induced arterial hypertension.

The genetic background of the regulatory systems of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in hypertension remains unclear. The inherited stress-induced arterial hypertension (ISIAH) and Wistar Albino Glaxo (WAG) normotensive rats were bred and their F(2) progeny were used in a quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis to identify genomic regions for plasma basal and stress-induced corticosterone levels, and for absolute and relative adrenal gland weights. The significant loci were found for stress-induced corticosterone on chromosome 9 and for adrenal weight on chromosome 6. The results may help to identify the genes controlling the trait phenotypes in the ISIAH rats characterized by the enhanced responsiveness to stressful stimulation.