Gender differences in the renal nitric oxide (NO) system: dissociation between expression of endothelial NO synthase and renal hemodynamic response to NO synthase inhibition.

Am J Hypertens 11(1 Pt 1):97-104 (1998) PMID 9504456

Many studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO) production is higher in the systemic vasculature of females than males and is stimulated during pregnancy, a high estrogen state. The present study was performed in rats to determine whether females had a greater expression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) in kidneys than did males; whether there were gender differences in the excretion of NO metabolites, nitrate/nitrite; and whether there were gender differences in the renal hemodynamic response to NO synthase inhibition. The renal levels of eNOS mRNA (as measured by ribonuclease protection assays) and protein (as measured by Western blot) were 80% higher in kidneys from females than from males (P