title: Oxidative stress in hypertension: role of the kidney.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Renal oxidative stress can be a cause, a consequence, or more often a potentiating factor for hypertension. Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the kidney have been reported in multiple models of hypertension and related to renal vasoconstriction and alterations of renal function. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase is the central source of ROS in the hypertensive kidney, but a defective antioxidant system also can contribute.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Superoxide has been identified as the principal ROS implicated for vascular and tubular dysfunction, but hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been implicated in diminishing preglomerular vascular reactivity, and promoting medullary blood flow and pressure natriuresis in hypertensive animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased renal ROS have been implicated in renal vasoconstriction, renin release, activation of renal afferent nerves, augmented contraction, and myogenic responses of afferent arterioles, enhanced tubuloglomerular feedback, dysfunction of glomerular cells, and proteinuria. Inhibition of ROS with antioxidants, superoxide dismutase mimetics, or blockers of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system or genetic deletion of one of the components of the signaling cascade often attenuates or delays the onset of hypertension and preserves the renal structure and function. Novel approaches are required to dampen the renal oxidative stress pathways to reduced O2(-•) rather than H2O2 selectivity and/or to enhance the endogenous antioxidant pathways to susceptible subjects to prevent the development and renal-damaging effects of hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Hypertension, Kidney and Vascular Research Center, Georgetown University , Washington, District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Magali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Wilcox
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism*; D007668:Kidney / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism*; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000378:metabolism; D007684:Kidney Tubules / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012079:Renal Circulation; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species