Intact NOX2 in T Cells Mediates Pregnancy-Induced Renal Damage in Dahl SS Rats.

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, renal disease, and mortality. While the exact mechanisms remain unclear, T cells and reactive oxygen species have been implicated in its pathogenesis. We utilized Dahl salt-sensitive (SS), SS (Dahl SS CD247 knockout rat; lacking T cells), and SS (Dahl SS p67 [NOX2 (NADPH [nitcotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate] oxidase 2)] knockout rat; lacking NOX2) rats to investigate these mechanisms in primigravida and multigravida states.

Sex-Dependency of T Cell-Induced Salt-Sensitive Hypertension and Kidney Damage.

Background: It is established that the immune system, namely T cells, plays a role in the development of hypertension and renal damage in male Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats, but far less is known about this relationship in females. Rats with genetically deleted T cells via gene mutation on the Dahl SS background (SS) were utilized to interrogate the effect of sex and T cells on salt sensitivity.

Methods: We assessed the hypertensive and kidney injury phenotypes in male versus female SS and SS rats challenged with 3 weeks of high salt (4.