[Cosegregation studies in spontaneously hypertensive rats].

SHR (spontaneously hypertensive rat) is the most popular genetic hypertensive model rat. Using the F2 progeny obtained from SHR and normotensive rats, for example, WKY (Wistar-Kyoto rat), many cosegregation studies to find the genes responsible for blood pressure have been done. In this review, we present some studies using F2 rats concerning candidate genes, renin, kallikrein, sodium potassium-ATPase, heat shock protein 70, angiotensin converting enzyme, phospholipase C-delta 1 and SA gene to show whether these genes really associate with blood pressure. We discuss the signification of these genes in the process of producing SHR and stroke-prone SHR from WKY. We hope these studies will lead to identify the mechanism of human essential hypertension.