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Computational analysis of candidate disease genes and variants for salt-sensitive hypertension in indigenous Southern Africans.

ABSTRACT: Multiple factors underlie susceptibility to essential hypertension, including a significant genetic and ethnic component, and environmental effects. Blood pressure response of hypertensive individuals to salt is heterogeneous, but salt sensitivity appears more prevalent in people of indigenous African origin. The underlying genetics of salt-sensitive hypertension, however, are poorly understood. In this study, computational methods including text- and data-mining have been used to select and prioritize candidate aetiological genes for salt-sensitive hypertension. Additionally, we have compared allele frequencies and copy number variation for single nucleotide polymorphisms in candidate genes between indigenous Southern African and Caucasian populations, with the aim of identifying candidate genes with significant variability between the population groups: identifying genetic variability between population groups can exploit ethnic differences in disease prevalence to aid with prioritisation of good candidate genes. Our top-ranking candidate genes include parathyroid hormone precursor (PTH) and type-1 angiotensin II receptor (AGTR1). We propose that the candidate genes identified in this study warrant further investigation as potential aetiological genes for salt-sensitive hypertension.

SUBMITTER: Tiffin N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2946338 | biostudies-literature | 2010

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Computational analysis of candidate disease genes and variants for salt-sensitive hypertension in indigenous Southern Africans.

Tiffin Nicki N Meintjes Ayton A Ramesar Rajkumar R Bajic Vladimir B VB Rayner Brian B

PloS one 20100927 9

Multiple factors underlie susceptibility to essential hypertension, including a significant genetic and ethnic component, and environmental effects. Blood pressure response of hypertensive individuals to salt is heterogeneous, but salt sensitivity appears more prevalent in people of indigenous African origin. The underlying genetics of salt-sensitive hypertension, however, are poorly understood. In this study, computational methods including text- and data-mining have been used to select and pri ...[more]

PMID: 20886000

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Project description:Increased plasma uric acid (hyperuricemia) has been associated with worse outcomes for chronic kidney disease (CKD). But some attempts to control uric acid (UA) in large-cohort clinical trials did not produce clinically meaningful benefits for CKD. Some studies suggest that only hyperuricemia with crystals, but not asymptomatic hyperuricemia promotes the progression of CKD. Salt-sensitivity (SS) in blood pressure is a prevalent trait that is sexually dimorphic and results in kidney damage. But the connection between hyperuricemia and SS hypertension (HTN) is still unclear. Here we tested the connection between the two using both male and female Dahl SS rats, a well-establish model of SS HTN. We hypothesized that mild asymptomatic hyperuricemia is beneficial in controlling the progression of SS HTN. A uricase inhibitor, oxonic acid (2%) (Oxo) was used to induce hyperuricemia and high-salt (HS) (4% NaCl) diet was used to induce SS HTN. After 3 weeks, in response to oxonic acid supplementation, both sexes showed a significant increase of UA in plasma compared to their respective HS-only controls (Males: 0.63 ±0.07 vs. 2.17 ±0.34; Females: 0.78 ±0.15 vs. 2.04 ±0.35 mg/dl, HS vs. HS/oxo). Interestingly, only male HS/oxo rats showed a significant increase in uricosuria (Males: 0.23 ±0.03 vs. 0.45 ±0.06; Femaels: 0.26 ±0.06 vs. 0.26 ±0.001 UA/Cre, HS vs. HS/oxo). Moreover, the mild hyperuricemia was associated with a significant attenuation of the progression and magnitude of the mean arterial pressure in male but not female rats (Males: 157 ±3 vs. 136 ±3; Females: 155 ±6 vs. 154 ±5 mmHg, HS vs. HS/oxo). Xanthine oxidase (XO) is one of the enzymes that produce UA, and its activity has been shown to affect HTN as well. Therefore, we examined the level of XO activity in the plasma after the treatment. While there was no difference in the activity based on the diet within each sex, females had significantly lower levels of XO activity compared to males in each of the diets. To further investigate the beneficial phenotype seen in male rats, we evaluate changes in the progression of renal pathology. The HS/oxo group compared to the HS group had a lower kidney weight/body weight ratio and lower protein cast accumulation, indicating lower kidney damage. Furthermore, the HS/Oxo treated males had less oxidative damage in their tubules than the HS-only males. Bulk-RNA seq done on the male kidneys revealed that attenuated HTN phenotype was associated with an increased expression in Mas1 (MAS receptor), Klk-1 (Kallikrein-1), and Pcsk6 (PCSK6 enzyme) which can all lead to the activation of different vasodilatory pathways. Our study showed that in male but not female Dahl SS rats, asymptomatic mild hyperuricemia accompanied by hyperuricosuria ameliorates the progression of SS HTN and protects kidneys from further damage. Thus, our findings challenge the notion of hyperuricemia being inherently detrimental to health and highlight that this is an oversimplified view of UA’s role in disease.

Dataset Information

Computational analysis of candidate disease genes and variants for salt-sensitive hypertension in indigenous Southern Africans.

Publications

Computational analysis of candidate disease genes and variants for salt-sensitive hypertension in indigenous Southern Africans.

Similar Datasets

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