Renal functional, not morphological, abnormalities account for salt sensitivity in Dahl rats.

Background: The kidney's role in the pathogenesis of salt-induced hypertension remains unclear. However, it has been suggested that inherited morphological renal abnormalities may cause hypertension. We hypothesized that functional, not morphological, derangements in Dahl salt-sensitive rats' kidneys cause NaCl retention that leads to hypertension accompanied by renal pathologic changes and proteinuria.

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