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Published on: November 7, 2017
Physiological stress increases renal injury in eNOS-knockout mice
Mildred A Pointer1, Geraldine Daumerie, LaKessha Bridges
1Department of Biology, Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA. mpointer@nccu.edu
Summary
Physiological stress worsens kidney injury in hypertensive mice, especially with high salt intake. This suggests environmental factors may contribute to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) disparities in African Americans.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Cardiovascular Research
- Physiology
Background:
- African Americans exhibit a fourfold higher risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) compared to Caucasians.
- Non-traditional factors like environmental stress and psychosocial elements are proposed contributors to this disparity.
- Endothelial nitric oxide synthase-deficient (eNOS(-/-)) mice serve as a model for hypertension-related renal injury, mirroring that seen in African Americans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of physiological stress on renal injury in a hypertensive mouse model.
- To examine how varying dietary salt levels modulate the effects of stress on kidney health.
- To explore the role of environmental and psychosocial factors in ESRD prevalence.
Main Methods:
- Utilized infrequent running to exhaustion as a physiological stressor in eNOS(-/-) mice.
- Administered low (0.12%), control (0.45%), and high (8%) dietary salt concentrations.
- Assessed interstitial inflammation in kidneys using two-way ANOVA and Holm-Sidak post-hoc tests.
Main Results:
- Physiological stress significantly increased interstitial inflammation in eNOS(-/-) mice compared to unstressed controls (P<0.01).
- High-salt diet exacerbated stress-induced interstitial inflammation in eNOS(-/-) mice (P<0.03).
- Stress and salt effects on renal injury were not observed in wild-type (eNOS(+/+)) mice and were independent of systolic blood pressure.
Conclusions:
- Physiological stress exacerbates renal injury in hypertension.
- High dietary salt intake compounds the detrimental effects of stress on kidney injury.
- These findings support the hypothesis that environmental and psychosocial factors contribute to higher ESRD rates in hypertensive African Americans.
