Increased 22Na+-influx in lymphocytes from offspring of essential hypertensive patients

Lymphocytes were used as a cellular model for the in vitro measurements of 22Na+-influx during sodium pump inhibition by ouabain. The measurements were made using lymphocytes from young men at increased risk of developing essential hypertension in order to assess any changes and to analyse whether any such changes were associated to borderline hypertension and/or heredity. Four groups were evaluated: 28 normotensive and 20 borderline hypertensive offspring of hypertensives, 12 borderline hypertensives and 28 normotensives with normotensive parents. 22Na+-influx was significantly increased in offspring of hypertensive parents especially in the normotensive offspring of hypertensive parents. The association between heredity and increased 22Na+-influx found by us in vitro may be caused by either an increased passive sodium-influx and/or an increased sodium-sodium exchange mechanism.