Biometrical genetic analysis of blood pressure level in the genetically hypertensive mouse.

Hypertensive mice of the inbred strain BPH/2 were mated to mice of the inbred hypotensive BPL/1, and their hybrid offspring were crossed and intercrossed. The systolic blood pressures of the resulting ten populations were then subjected to a biometrical genetic analysis to determine the mode of inheritance of genes regulating blood pressure in these strains. It was found that the inheritance of elevated blood pressure was due, primarily, to the additive effects of three to five genes. There was no evidence that genetic dominance or epistasis were involved in the genetic control of blood pressure in these strains.