Figure 2.
Influence of non-sodium dietary factors on immune responses in salt-sensitive (SS) hypertension. (a) A transcriptomic analysis of T cells isolated from the kidney demonstrated a shift in expression from genes related to inflammation in the Dahl SS rats fed a prohypertensive, animal-based diet to genes related to metabolism in Dahl SS fed a protective, grain-based diet which was associated with a diminished degree of SS hypertension and renal damage. In response to a high-salt challenge, the methylome of T cells isolated from the kidney of SS rats fed the prohypertensive diet exhibited a significant increase in differentially methylated regions with a preference for hypermethylation compared with the T cells isolated from the kidneys of rats fed the protective, grain diet. (b) The inhibition of DNA methyltransferases blunted salt-induced hypertension and renal damage in the SS rats fed the prohypertensive diet. *P < 0.05 vs. vehicle low salt (LS); #P < 0.05 vs. decitabine LS; ^P < 0.05 vs. vehicle. HS indicates high salt. Redrawn from Abais-Battad et al.108 and Dasinger et al.109 with permission.