Downregulation of Arntl mRNA Expression in Women with Hypertension: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Previous studies have reported that disturbance of endogenous circadian rhythms enhances the chance of hypertension and suggested that circadian clock genes could have a crucial function in the onset of the disease. This case-control study was aimed to investigate the association of the mRNA expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator like (<i>Arntl</i>), clock circadian regulator (<i>Clock</i>), and period circadian regulators 1 and 2 (<i>Per1</i> and <i>Per2</i>) with hypertension and blood pressure levels. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A total of 172 subjects were recruited in this study, including 86 hypertension and 86 nonhypertension controls. The mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The differences in <i>Arntl</i>, <i>Clock</i>, <i>Per1</i>, and <i>Per2</i> mRNA expression were compared between the 2 groups, and the relationship between mRNA expression and cardiometabolic risk profiles was also assessed. <b><i>Results:</i></b> We found that the mRNA expression of <i>Arntl</i> was downregulated in the hypertension cases compared with controls in women (1.10 [0.66, 1.71] vs. 1.30 [0.99, 2.06], <i>p</i> = 0.031). There was a significant negative correlation between the <i>Arntl</i> mRNA expression and SBP (<i>r</i> = −0.301, <i>p</i> = 0.004) and DBP (<i>r</i> = −0.222, <i>p</i> = 0.034) in women. In men, a negative correlation between the <i>Per1</i> mRNA expression and SBP (<i>r</i> = −0.247, <i>p</i> = 0.026) was found. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> The <i>Arntl</i> mRNA expression may play an important role in progression of hypertension in women.