NORMOTENSIVE BLOOD-PRESSURE IN MICE WITH A DISRUPTED RENIN REN-1(D) GENE

Renin is an aspartyl protease that is involved in the conversion of an giotensinogen to angitensin II and hence participates in ihs regulatio n of blood pressure. Mice are polymorphic for the number of renin gene s with some strains harbouring two renin genes, Ren-1(d) and Ren-2. To study the role of renin Ren-1(d) in regulating cardiovascular homeost asis, mice with a disrupted Ren-1(d) gene were created. Analyses of ki dney renin mRNA expression in Ren-1(d-/-)/Ren-(2+/+) mice demonstrated that only Ren-2 transcripts were present. Mean arterial blood pressur es of Ren-1(d+/+)/Ren-2(+/+), Ren-1d(+/-)/Ren-2(+/+) and Ren-1(d-/-)/R en-2(+/+) mice showed no significant differences. These observations d emonstrate that the Ren-1(d) gene product is not essential for normal blood pressure maintenance under normal physiological conditions.