Researchers discover possible signs of hypertension

The Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICiG SB RAS) has compiled a "metabolic portrait" of hereditary stress-sensitive hypertensive rats.

This unique rat strain, the ISIAH, models the type of hypertension most commonly found in humans; it combines a hereditary predisposition and sensitivity to stress. According to scientists, this is a step towards the discovery of markers of various mechanisms of blood pressure increase in people. The results were published in the Vavilov Journal of Genetics and Breeding

As per researchers, in the future, the results of such studies will enable to determine the individual series of causes of the disease and individualized therapy by analyzing human blood, without resorting to the "trial and error" method. In addition, according to their estimates, "metabolic portraits," which characterize the pathological state of the body from different perspectives, will help determine priority areas for the development of new drugs.

The ICiG SB RAS scientists took blood serum samples from rats and determined the concentrations of metabolites—i.e. chemical compounds that are intermediate or end products of metabolism in cells—in 56 samples using NMR spectroscopy.

"Of the 56 metabolites detected, we identified those whose content was increased or decreased compared to the control group (which included rats with normal blood pressure). Then we analyzed their role in the body and discovered those metabolites that are somehow involved in pressure regulation mechanisms," explained Alisa Seryapina, a researcher at the laboratory of evolutionary genetics at the ICiG SB RAS.

According to her, those metabolites, the levels of which differ in hypertensive rats, can be called potential biomarkers of hypertension.

"The results showed that some amino acids (valine, leucine, isoleucine) and myo-inositol are involved in the regulation of glucose metabolism; betaine and tryptophan are also indicators of the presence of an inflammatory process. Our results require further confirmation and clarification, so it is too early to talk about the implementation of metabolomics analysis in clinical practice; So far, the received data are informative," Seryapina added.

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