Arachidonic acid cytochrome P450 4F2 in hypertension: what can we learn from a transgenic mouse model??

The cytochrome P450-derived 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) has known function that plays opposite roles in blood pressure: prohypertensive and antihypertensive. Liu et al. report that the CYP4F2 transgene, driven under an exogenous promoter, increases 20-HETE production and is associated with increased blood pressure in vivo. This study provides evidence for the first time that overexpression of P450 4F2 enzyme results in higher production of 20-HETE, which promotes hypertension. The significance of this transgenic mouse model is further discussed.