We investigated candidate loci for salt-sensitive high blood pressure in F2 progeny from crossing Wistar-Kyoto rats and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats. 2. The average systolic and diastolic blood pressure did not increase in male and female F2 progeny by the 12th day after salt loading. 3. In female F2 progeny, systolic and diastolic blood pressure became strongly linked with the MITR244 locus on chromosome 3, 1 month and 12 days after salt loading. 4. This locus became linked with blood pressure only in the female F2 progeny and not in the males. 5. These results indicate that hormonal factors and gender differences, in particular, might influence salt sensitivity.
