The occurrence of parathyroid hypertensive factor (PHF) in Dahl rats

Parathyroid hypertensive factor (PHF) is a newly described circulating hypertensive factor which is present in genetic hypertensive rat models, and which has been associated with salt sensitivity in essential hypertensive patients. To determine if Dahl-S or -R rats differentially express PHF-like activity, and whether such PHF levels might be affected by salt intake, we placed 5-week-old Dahl-S and Dahl-R rats on one of three diets: low salt (< 0.04%), normal salt (0.7%), or high salt (8%). After 8 weeks on the respective diets, mean arterial pressure was measured and plasma obtained for PHF analysis. Mean arterial pressures of Dahl-R rats were not different despite varying salt intakes. Mean arterial pressures of Dahl-S rats on normal and high salt diets, but not on the low salt diet, were significantly higher than those of Dahl-R rats on the same diet. PHF-like activity was not detectable in Dahl-R rats at any level of salt intake. In Dahl-S rats, no PHF activity was detectable in rats on the low salt diet, but in rats on the normal and high salt diets, significant PHF-like activity was detectable (9.5 +/- 2 mm Hg and 14.2 +/- 2 mm Hg, respectively, P < .001 in both cases). For all Dahl-S rats together, PHF levels correlated with mean arterial pressure (r = 0.50, P = .0077). These results show that Dahl-S rats are capable of expressing PHF-like activity, which is induced by increasing dietary salt intakes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)