The effect of salt on renal damage in eNOS-deficient mice

African Americans have an increased incidence of end-stage renal disease and are characterized as having reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide and salt-sensitivity. We propose that endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) knockout mice (eNOS −/− ) are a suitable model of hypertension-associated renal injury as seen in African Americans. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether older eNOS −/− mice have hypertension-associated renal injury and if dietary salt modulates this injury. Six-month-old eNOS −/− mice were placed on 0.12%, 0.45% or 8% NaCl diet for 8 weeks and blood pressure measured weekly; kidneys were collected for pathology evaluation and scoring at the end of the 8-week period. Mice deficient of eNOS were hypertensive at baseline compared with control mice in all three groups (128±3 vs . 112±3, P