Epigenetic phenomena include DNA methylation, post-translational histone modifications,
and noncoding RNAs, as major marks. Although similar to genetic features of DNA for
their heritability, epigenetic mechanisms differ for their potential reversibility
by environmental and nutritional factors, which make them potentially crucial for
their role in complex and multifactorial diseases. The function of these mechanisms
is indeed gaining interest in relation to arterial hypertension (AH) with emerging
evidence from cell culture and animal models as well as human studies showing that
epigenetic modifications have major functions within pathways related to AH. Among
epigenetic marks, the role of DNA methylation is mostly highlighted given the primary
role of this epigenetic feature in mammalian cells. A lower global methylation was
observed in DNA of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of hypertensive patients. Moreover,
DNA hydroxymethylation appears modifiable by salt intake in a Dahl salt-sensitive
rat model. The specific function of DNA methylation in regulating the expression of
AH-related genes at promoter site was described for hydroxysteroid (11-beta) dehydrogenase
2 (HSD11B2), somatic angiotensin converting enzyme (sACE), Na+/K+/2Cl- cotransporter 1 (NKCC1), angiotensinogen (AGT), α-adducin (ADD1), and for other crucial genes in endocrine hypertension. Post-translational histone
methylation at different histone 3 lysine residues was also observed to control the
expression of genes related to AH as lysine-specific demethylase-1(LSD1), HSD11B2, and epithelial sodium channel subunit α (SCNN1A). Noncoding RNAs including several microRNAs influence genes involved in steroidogenesis
and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone pathway. In the present review, the current
knowledge on the relationship between the main epigenetic marks and AH will be presented,
considering the challenge of epigenetic patterns being modifiable by environmental
factors that may lead toward novel implications in AH preventive and therapeutic strategies.
Abbreviations:
AH (arterial hypertension), 5hmCyt (5-hydroxymethylcytosine), 5mCyt (5-methylcytosine), PBMCs (peripheral blood mononuclear cells)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 25, 2014
Accepted:
June 18,
2014
Received in revised form:
June 16,
2014
Received:
February 25,
2014
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
