Sex differences in blood pressure control in SHR : lack of a role for EET s

The mechanisms responsible for the gender difference in blood pressure ( BP ) in humans are not clear. Over the past several years we have studied the spontaneously hypertensive rat ( SHR ) as a model of sex differences in BP control. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that renal vascular and microsomal epoxyeicosatrienoic acid ( EET ) levels are higher in females than males, and increasing vascular EET s by blocking epoxide hydrolase with AUDA will reduce BP more in males than females. Renal vascular and microsomal EET s were higher in female SHR than males. Mean arterial pressure ( MAP by telemetry) was higher in males than females during the baseline period of 6 days, and although the epoxide hydrolase inhibitor, AUDA , given for 10 days increased renal microvascular EET s in both groups, AUDA did not affect MAP in either group. These data suggest that EET s do not contribute to the sex differences in hypertension in young SHR .