A cross-organ single-cell analysis of hypertension.

Abstract

Hypertension is a leading cause of disease burden and mortality. Here, we present a single-cell analysis of hypertension and end-organ damage across six organs and tissues in angiotensin II-treated mice, Dahl salt-sensitive rats, and spontaneously hypertensive rats. We identified gene programs associated with blood pressure and renal injury, including a conserved vascular smooth muscle cell program and cross-segment renal tubular programs, along with tissue-specialized endothelial adaptations and coordinated changes across cell types in select organs. Integration with human genomic data revealed model-specific and shared cell type-trait links. We prioritized a noncoding variant (rs28451064) and used genome editing to demonstrate its in vivo effect on blood pressure and allele-specific regulation of local genes. Our study provides a multimodel, cross-organ cellular resource for hypertension research.