Sex differences in blood pressure control in SHR: lack of a role for EETs

The mechanisms responsible for the gender difference in blood pressure (BP) in humans are not clear. Over the past several years we have studied the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) as a model of sex differences in BP control. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that renal vascular and microsomal epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) levels are higher in females than males, and increasing vascular EETs by blocking epoxide hydrolase with AUDA will reduce BP more in males than females. Renal vascular and microsomal EETs were higher in female SHR than males. Mean arterial pressure (MAP by telemetry) was higher in males than females during the baseline period of 6 days, and although the epoxide hydrolase inhibitor, AUDA, given for 10 days increased renal microvascular EETs in both groups, AUDA did not affect MAP in either group. These data suggest that EETs do not contribute to the sex differences in hypertension in young SHR.