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Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Implantation of Combined Telemetric ECG and Blood Pressure Transmitters to Determine Spontaneous Baroreflex Sensitivity in Conscious Mice
Published on: February 14, 2021
Bradykinin B2 receptor gene (-58T/C) polymorphism influences baroreflex sensitivity in never-treated hypertensive
Alberto Milan1, Paolo Mulatero, Tracy A Williams
1Department of Medicine and Experimental Oncology, Hypertension Unit, University of Torino, Italy.
Background:
Most evidence currently favours a fundamental role of the autonomic nervous system in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension. Recent studies suggest that about 40% of baroreflex variation, an index of cardiac autonomic control, is influenced by genetic factors.
Methods And Results:
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a common polymorphic variant of the bradykinin B2 receptor gene (B2R; -58T/C) on the autonomic regulation of baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in 129 mild-moderate never-treated hypertensive patients. No significant differences were found for clinical and biochemical parameters among genotypes. BRS increased with the number of B2R T alleles. B2R genotype was a strong independent predictor of BRS, accounting for 12% of its variation. We suggest that a decrease in the transcription of the bradykinin B2R gene in the presence of the B2R -58C allele could reduce BRS via the diminished effect of bradykinin.
Conclusions:
B2R genotype can explain part of the BRS variation that is unaccounted for by simple anthropometric variables and common risk factors.
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