Novel candidate genes for impaired nephron development in a rat model with inherited nephron deficit and albuminuria.

Defects in nephrogenesis can have detrimental effects on cardiovascular and renal health in adult life. This is confirmed by observations in the Munich Wistar Frömter (MWF) rat that exhibits a congenital nephron deficit and renal failure with age. Here, we performed genome-wide transcriptome analysis in embryonic kidneys to identify candidate genes for the reduced nephron number in MWF.

Development of progressive albuminuria in male Munich Wistar Frömter rats is androgen dependent.

Munich Wistar Frömter (MWF) rats develop spontaneous albuminuria that is linked to autosomal genetic loci and inherit a nephron deficit in both female and male animals, respectively. However, albuminuria and kidney damage are clearly more pronounced in males. Here we tested whether androgens and the androgen receptor influence albuminuria in male MWF.

Fetal-adult cardiac transcriptome analysis in rats with contrasting left ventricular mass reveals new candidates for cardiac hypertrophy.

Reactivation of fetal gene expression patterns has been implicated in common cardiac diseases in adult life including left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) in arterial hypertension. Thus, increased wall stress and neurohumoral activation are discussed to induce the return to expression of fetal genes after birth in LVH. We therefore aimed to identify novel potential candidates for LVH by analyzing fetal-adult cardiac gene expression in a genetic rat model of hypertension, i.

Genetic variants on rat chromosome 8 exhibit profound effects on hypertension severity and survival during nitric oxide inhibition in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Background: Hypertension and mortality is aggravated by nitric oxide inhibition with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) but not in Munich Wistar Frömter (MWF) rats. MWF rats carry major albuminuria quantitative trait loci on rat chromosome (RNO) 6 and RNO8; susceptibility of SHRs to L-NAME is enhanced by transfer of RNO6 from MWF rats into the SHR background. Here, we tested whether the sensitivity to L-NAME in SHRs is affected by transfer of RNO8 from MWF rats in consomic SHR-8(MWF) rats.

Mapping and confirmation of a major left ventricular mass QTL on rat chromosome 1 by contrasting SHRSP and F344 rats.

An abnormal increase in left ventricular (LV) mass, i.e., LV hypertrophy (LVH), represents an important target organ damage in arterial hypertension and has been associated with poor clinical outcome.

MWF rats with spontaneous albuminuria inherit a reduced efficiency of nephron induction during early nephrogenesis in comparison to SHR rats.

Objectives: A congenital nephron deficit has been linked to the progression of arterial hypertension and to the development of chronic kidney disease. The Munich Wistar Frömter (MWF) inbred rat develops hypertension, progressive albuminuria, and exhibits an inherited nephron deficit of about 27% compared to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) with low-grade albuminuria. Introgression of rat chromosome (RNO)6 from SHRs into MWF rats markedly suppresses albuminuria and abolishes the nephron deficit in 4-week-old MWF-6 rats.

Induction of albuminuria and kidney damage in SHR by transfer of chromosome 8 from Munich Wistar Frömter rats.

Inbred Munich Wistar Frömter [MWF/FubRkb (RGD:724569), MWF] rats develop progressive albuminuria with age that is under polygenetic influence. We previously identified a major albuminuria quantitative trait locus (QTL) on rat chromosome (RNO)8 in MWF. To test the independent role of QTL(s) for albuminuria development on RNO8, we generated a consomic SHR-Chr 8(MWF)/Rkb (SHR-8(MWF)) strain by transferring RNO8 from MWF into the albuminuria-resistant background of the spontaneously hypertensive rat [SHR/FubRkb (RGD:631696; SHR)].

Genetic locus on MWF rat chromosome 6 affects kidney damage in response to L-NAME treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

A major quantitative trait locus (QTL) on rat chromosome (RNO)6 was linked to albuminuria in Munich Wistar Frömter rats (MWF). We tested whether transfer of MWF RNO6 into the background of albuminuria-resistant spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) induces albuminuria in consomic SHR-6(MWF) animals. Male MWF, SHR, and SHR-6(MWF) were sham operated and treated between 6 and 24 wk of age with normal water (Sham) or with water containing 20 mg/l N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or unilaterally nephrectomized (Nx).