Calmodulin levels in hypertensive rats

Intracellular calmodulin levels were measured by direct radioimmunoassay in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). Decreased calmodulin levels were demonstrated in the brain, heart, aorta and kidney of spontaneously hypertensive rats compared with those in Wistar-Kyoto rats. Calmodulin levels in the brain were also decreased in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt rats, but not changed significantly in the heart, aorta and kidney compared with those in Wistar-Kyoto rats. These findings suggest that intracellular calcium-dependent regulatory systems are genetically disrupted in spontaneously hypertensive rats, but this is probably not an important factor in the development of hypertension.