His and Her Computational Models of Long‐term Blood Pressure Regulation

Abstract

Hypertension is a global health challenge. Hypertensive men and women are typically treated with the same approach, with less effective outcome in women. To address the critical need to better understand the mechanism of blood pressure control in both men and women, we have developed sex‐specific computational models of long‐term blood pressure control. The model represents sex differences in the kidney's pressure natriuresis response, whereby increases in renal perfusion pressure lead to increases in Na+ excretion; that in turns lowers salt and water retention and reduces effective circulating volume. Females tend to exhibit a leftward shift in the pressure‐natriuresis relation relative to males. The model also includes detailed representation of the renin‐angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS), a non‐sex hormonal system critical for maintaining blood pressure and effective circulating volume. Major sex differences in the RAAS have been identified, including how substrate is produced and how angiotensin interacts with receptors. Those sex differences are included in the model. Using the developed model, we test the hypothesis that RAAS‐mediated anti‐natriuretic (and thus blood pressure increasing) effects are more severe in males than females, leading to more hypertension‐induced injury in males.Support or Funding InformationThis research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, grant R01DK106102.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.