Vanderbilt University

Armando Karara

Jorge H Capdevila

Keiko Makita

The invention provides an isolated nucleic acid encoding the rat P450 2C11 arachidonic acid epoxygenase, or a human homologue thereof, having a mutation associated with salt induced hypertension. Also provided is an isolated cell line expressing the epoxygenase encoded by the mutated nucleic acid, and a non-human transgenic animal having a germ line insertion of the mutated nucleic acid. Also provided is a method of screening a compound for efficacy in treating salt induced hypertension comprising administering the compound to such a non-human transgenic animal, and detecting an improvement in the animal's hypertension. The invention also provides a method of screening a human subject for a genetic predisposition to salt induced hypertension comprising detecting a mutation in a human homologue of a rat P450 2C11 arachidonic acid epoxygenase gene which affects normal epoxygenase activity. Also provided is a method of treating salt induced hypertension in a human subject associated with a genetic mutation in a human homologue of the rat P450 2C11 arachidonic acid epoxygenase gene, comprising administering to the subject a functional metabolite, or analogue thereof, produced by the human homologue of the rat P450 2C11 arachidonic acid epoxygenase. Also provided is an isolated mutated rat P450 2C11 arachidonic acid epoxygenase, or a human homologue thereof, having a mutation associated with salt induced hypertension.

Growing community of inventors

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Armando Karara