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There is a sex difference in the blood pressure (BP) responses to prooxidants and antioxidants in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). In contrast to males, BP in female SFIR does not decrease in response to antioxidants, such as tempo! or apocynin, or increase in response to the prooxidant, molsidomine. Molsidomine decreases BP and increases expression of antioxidants in male Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY), but not male SHR. The present study tested the hypothesis that the mechanism responsible for the lack of a pressor response to molsidomine in females is due to higher endogenous nitric oxide (NO) or to compensatoly upregulation of renal antioxidant enzymes. Female SHR were treated with molsidomine in the presence or absence of flltro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) for 2 wk. Molsidomine increased nitrate/nitrite (NOX) and F2-isoprostane (F2-IsoP) excretion, whereas L-NAME reduced NOX but increased F-Isop. Molsidomine and L-NAME together further reduced NOX and increased F2-IsoP. Molsidomine alone had no effect on BP; L-NAME alone increased BP. The combination of molsidomine and L-NAMIE did not increase BP above L-NAME alone levels. Whole body and renal oxidative stress increased, while renal cortical Cu,Zn-SOD expression was downregulated and catalase was upregulated by molsidomine; glutathione peroxidase expression was unaffected. These data support our previous studies suggesting that BP in female SHR is independent of either increases or decreases in oxidative stress. The mechanisms responsible for the sex difference in BP response to increase or decrease of oxidative stress are not due to increased NO in females or to compensatory upregulation of antioxidant enzymes in response to increases in oxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) induction can attenuate the development of angiotensin II (ANG II)-dependent hypertension. However, the mechanism by which HO-1 lowers blood pressure in this model is not clear. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that induction of HO-1 in the kidney can attenuate the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in the kidney that occurs during ANG II-dependent hypertension. Mice were divided into four groups, control (Con), cobalt protoporphyrin (C0PP), ANG II, and ANG II + CoPP. CoPP treatment (50 mg/kg) was administered in a single subcutaneous injection 2 days prior to implantation of an osmotic minipump that infused ANG II at a rate of 1 µg·kg-1·min-1. At the end of this period, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) averaged 93 ± 5, 90 ± 5, 146 ± 8, and 105 ± 6 mmHg in Con, CoPP-, ANG II-, and ANG II + CoPP-treated mice. To determine whether HO-1 induction resulted in a decrease in ANG II-stimulated ROS generation in the renal medulla, superoxide production was measured. Medullary superoxide production was increased by ANG II infusion and normalized in mice pretreated with CoPP. The reduction in ANG II-mediated superoxide production in the medulla with CoPP was associated with a decrease in extracellular superoxide dismutase protein but an increase in catalase protein and activity. These results suggest that reduction in superoxide and possibly hydrogen peroxide production in the renal medulla may be a potential mechanism by which induction of HO-1 with CoPP lowers blood pressure in ANG-II dependent hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Men have higher blood pressure than women, and androgens and oxidative stress have been implicated as playing roles in this sexual dimorphism. The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is an animal model of both androgen- and oxidative stress-mediated hypertension. Therefore, the present studies were performed to test the hypothesis that androgens cause hypertension in SHR in part by stimulating superoxide production via NADPH oxidase. Castration of male SHR reduced blood pressure by 15% and attenuated both basal and NADPH-stimulated superoxide production in kidney cortical homogenates. Expression of p47phox and gp91phox but not p22phox subunits of NADPH oxidase were significantly lower in kidney cortex from castrated males compared with intact males. Moreover, inhibition of NADPH oxidase with apocynin caused ∼15 mmHg reduction in blood pressure and reduced basal and NADPH-stimulated superoxide production in intact male SHR, but had no effect on blood pressure or superoxide production in castrated males. These data support the hypothesis that androgens cause oxidative stress and thereby increase blood pressure in male SHR via an NADPH oxidase-dependent mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In young adult spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), mean arterial pressure (MAP) is higher in males than in females and inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) eliminates this sex difference. After cessation of estrous cycling in female SHR, MAP is similar to that in male SHR. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of the RAS in maintenance of hypertension in aging male and female SHR. At 16 mo of age, MAP was similar in male and female SHR (183 ± 5 vs. 193 ± 8 mmHg), and chronic losartan (40 mg·kg-1·day-1 po for 3 wk) reduced MAP by 52% (to 90 ± 8 mmHg, P < 0.05 vs. control) in males and 37% (to 123 ± 11 mmHg, P < 0.05 vs. control) in females (P < 0.05, females vs. males). The effect of losartan on angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptor blockade was similar: MAP responses to acute doses of ANG II (62.5–250 ng/kg) were blocked to a similar extent in losartan-treated males and females. F2-isoprostane excretion was reduced with losartan more in males than in females. There were no sex differences in plasma renin activity, plasma angiotensinogen or ANG II, or renal expression of AT1 receptors, angiotensin-converting enzyme, or renin. However, renal angiotensinogen mRNA and protein expression was higher in old males than females, whereas renal ANG II was higher in old females than males. The data show that, in aging SHR, when blood pressures are similar, there remains a sexual dimorphism in the response to AT1 receptor antagonism, and the differences may involve sex differences in mechanisms responsible for oxidative stress with aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) have lower blood pressures than males. The renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in the sexual dimorphism of blood pressure in SHR. The sympathetic nervous system can stimulate renin release, and, therefore, the present study was performed to determine whether the renal sympathetic nerves play a role in the sexual dimorphism of blood pressure in SHR. Male and female SHR underwent bilateral kidney denervation or sham surgery, and, 2 wk later, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse interval were recorded, and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) was measured by the sequence technique. Left ventricle index (LVI) was also calculated. MAP was higher in sham-operated males than females (182 ± 5 vs. 169 ± 4 mmHg; P < 0.01), but, despite the higher MAP in males, LVI was significantly greater in female rats. BRS was not different between sham-operated male and female SHR. Following bilateral renal denervation, MAP was decreased by a similar percentage (8–10%) in males (169 ± 2 mmHg) and females (152 ± 3 mmHg), whereas LVI was reduced only in female SHR. BRS was not altered by renal denervation in either sex. These data indicate that renal nerves play a role in the control of blood pressure in SHR independent of sex, but do not play a role in mediating the sex differences in blood pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses on the role of sex steroids in blood pressure regulation and sympathetic nervous system modulation and its impact on hypertension. According to the studies conducted by Xue and colleagues, angiotensin II (ANG II) increases blood pressure among ovariectomized (OVX) female mice and male mice compared to intact female mice. It also addresses the role of nitric oxide (NO) in sympathetic nervous system modulation among intact female.

A preface for the supplement to the April 2008 issue of "Hypertension" journal is presented.