Hypertension Mouse Models

Hypertension models include knockout or knockin of genes involved in renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), nitric oxide signaling, sodium handling, vascular function, or sympathetic nervous system regulation. Point mutations can model human hypertension variants. Conditional approaches enable tissue specific study of hypertension mechanisms.

Yes. Genetic modifications can be combined with environmental factors (high-salt diet, angiotensin II infusion, DOCA-salt) to model gene-environment interactions in hypertension. Conditional approaches enable study of how specific genes contribute to salt-sensitive vs salt-resistant hypertension.

Common cardiovascular Cre drivers include Myh6-Cre (cardiomyocytes), Tie2-Cre (endothelial cells), SM22-Cre (smooth muscle cells), and kidney-specific drivers (Ksp-Cre for renal tubules, Podocin-Cre for podocytes). Selection depends on whether you're studying cardiac, vascular, renal, or combined mechanisms.

Blood pressure measurement methods include tail-cuff plethysmography (non-invasive, repeated measures), telemetry (implanted probes for continuous monitoring), and direct arterial catheterization (terminal procedure, most accurate). Telemetry provides the most reliable data for hypertension studies, especially for circadian patterns.