5. Translation from animal to man
In our own studies in the SHRSP we have identified the glutathione S-transferase mu type 1 gene (Gstm1) as a positional candidate for hypertension in the SHRSP [41]. Glutathione S-transferases are involved in the defences against oxidative stress and thereby also constitute functional candidates for hypertension [60]. We and others have confirmed reduced Gstm1 gene [41], [57] and [61] and Gstm1 protein expression [42] in SHRSP. The human orthologues of Gstm1 are therefore promising candidate genes for essential hypertension. However, when we performed a definite association study of GSTM genes in hypertension involving sequencing of GSTM genes, genotyping for the GSTM1 deletion and studies in three different and independent cohorts, we were unable to show a significant association between any of the human GSTM genes and hypertension [62].