Hormones, salt, hypertension and the interstitium. Is the interstitium the missing link?

The pathophysiology of most forms of hypertension is still poorly understood. A hypothesis is developed suggesting that the balance of hormones capable of influencing sodium metabolism play a significant role in the pathophysiology of hypertension, and that a significant component of the hormonal effect is mediated through changes in the interstitial matrix. It is suggested that the interstitial changes play a direct role in the increase in blood pressure and in bringing about many of the observed differences between hypertensive and normotensive states.