Forebrain Electroneutral Transporters in Salt-sensitive Hypertension: an MRI Study

• Status: Recruiting
• Trial end date: 2028-07-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The overall objective of this project is to identify the key salt-sensing regions of the brain and determine the underlying mechanism of sodium sensing. The investigators will assess how the brain responds to an acute increase of salt in the blood using MRI. This will be done during a 30-minute infusion of a saline solution containing 3% salt. One trial will be conducted with a salt sensing channel blocker and one trial without the salt sensing channel blocker. This will help to assess the role of a specific salt sensing channel in the brain. Salt sensitivity of BP will be assessed using 7-day dietary feeding where participants will be given food to consume for 7-days. Comparisons will be made between salt resistant (no change in blood pressure going from low to high salt diets) and salt sensitive adults (a change in blood pressure going from low to high salt diets). The investigators think the changes in MRI will be greater in salt sensitive compared to salt resistant subjects.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of Delaware
• Collaborator: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
• Treatments: Diuretics; Furosemide

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age: > 40 years or < 60 years

• Blood pressure: > 100/60 mmHg or < 140/90 mmHg

• BMI: > 18.5 kg/m2 or < 30 kg/m2

• Serum potassium: > 3.5 mmol/L or < 5.5 mmol/L

• No history of cardiovascular, renal, metabolic, or neurological disease

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age: < 40 years or > 60 years

• Blood pressure: < 100/60 mmHg or > 140/90 mmHg

• BMI: < 18.5 kg/m2 or > 30 kg/m2

• Serum potassium: < 3.5 mmol/L or > 5.5 mmol/L

• Abnormal ECG

• History of - cardiovascular, cancer, metabolic, respiratory, renal disease

• Hormone replacement therapy

• Current tobacco or nicotine use

• Pregnant or nursing mothers

• Major brain injury (concussions do not count)

• Clinically diagnosed psychiatric or neurological disorder

• Clinically diagnosed anxiety or depression

• Psychiatric, neurological, anxiety or depression medications

• Hypertension medications

• Sulfonamide drug allergy

• Contra-indications to MRI (implants, metal, etc)

• Claustrophobia