Obesity increased salt-sensitive hypertension more in female ZSF1 rats than in males, despite no differences in skin electrolytes.
Does a DOCA pellet plus high salt diet increase systolic blood pressure and skin electrolyte accumulation differently based on sex and obesity in ZSF1 rats?
Obesity significantly enhances salt-sensitive hypertension in ZSF1 rats, particularly in females, without corresponding changes in skin electrolyte accumulation.
Absolute Event Rate: 0% vs 0%
Obesity and sex influence the salt-sensitivity of blood pressure, but it is unknown whether this also affects tissue electrolyte accumulation. We hypothesized that obese female rats exhibit greater salt-sensitivity of blood pressure with higher non-osmotic sodium accumulation in skin compared to obese male or lean female rats. To investigate this, male and female lean and obese ZSF1 rats received either a deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) pellet plus a high salt diet (6% NaCl) or a placebo pellet plus normal salt diet at 19 weeks of age. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 24-hour sodium excretion were measured biweekly from 12 to 26 weeks. At 26 weeks, sodium and potassium content in the skin was measured. SBP was higher in obese than in lean rats within the DOCA + high salt groups. Lean female rats showed no SBP increase in response to the DOCA + high salt diet. Analysis of pressure-natriuresis curves confirmed that obesity increased the salt-sensitivity of blood pressure. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction between sex and obesity on salt-sensitivity of blood pressure: lean female rats were completely salt-resistant, whereas obese female rats showed the greatest salt-sensitivity of blood pressure. Similar trends were observed in males, but the effects were less pronounced. Despite differences in salt-sensitivity of blood pressure there were no differences in skin electrolytes. In conclusion, obesity enhances salt-sensitive hypertension more in female than in male rats, independent of skin electrolytes.
Nguyen et al. (Tue,) reported a other. Obesity increased salt-sensitive hypertension more in female ZSF1 rats than in males, despite no differences in skin electrolytes.