Chronic Stress Induces Sex-Specific Renal Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Mice

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Endocrinology
• Nephrology

Background:

• Chronic psychological stress is linked to renal disease and hypertension.
• Mechanisms connecting stress, renal function, and hypertension remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if chronic stress impairs renal mitochondrial function, leading to increased blood pressure.
• To explore sex-dependent mechanisms of stress-induced hypertension.

Main Methods:

• Adult male and female mice underwent a 28-day chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) protocol or served as controls.
• Assessed blood pressure, renal mitochondrial function, renal progesterone levels, and urinary albumin excretion.

Main Results:

• CUS increased blood pressure in both sexes, with a greater effect in females.
• Renal mitochondrial function was impaired in female mice during the proestrus phase, correlating with low renal progesterone and elevated blood pressure.
• Urinary albumin excretion increased in CUS-exposed females but not males.

Conclusions:

• Chronic unpredictable stress directly increases blood pressure in a sex-dependent manner.
• Low renal progesterone contributes to impaired renal mitochondrial function and elevated blood pressure in female mice.
• These findings highlight a novel mechanism for stress-induced hypertension in females.