# Epigenetic Regulation of Kidney Function and Blood Pressure

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCI CTR · 2020 · $447,552

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
It is well established that the incidence of hypertension increases with age. The prevalence of
hypertension is higher in the aged (~62%) than in the young population (~11%). Salt sensitivity is
more prevalent in the elderly population. The aging-related salt sensitivity is an important factor that
contributes to the high prevalence of hypertension in the elderly population. Lysine (K)-specific
demethylase 6a (KDM6A) is a recently-discovered powerful H3K27me3 demethylase. It is not known,
however, if KDM6A is involved in the maintenance of blood pressure (BP). Whether KDM6A gene
deficiency causes hypertension has never been determined. The objective of the proposed research
is to determine whether KDM6A plays a role in the maintenance of BP and whether KDM6A gene
deficiency is involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension. This objective will be achieved by pursuing
two interrelated specific aims using a combination of several novel approaches including kidney-
specific conditional gene knockout, epigenetic analysis, and in vivo kidney-specific gene delivery. The
specific aims are: (1) Determine whether KDM6A plays a role in the regulation and maintenance of
normal kidney function and blood pressure. (2) Determine whether in vivo expression of KDM6A
attenuates aging-related impairment in renal Na excretion and hypertension. These studies will
demonstrate, for the first time, an important role of KDM6A in the regulation of blood pressure and the
pathogenesis of hypertension. The results will provide novel mechanism that KDM6A may protect the
kidney. Completion of the project may reveal new insights into therapeutic strategies for hypertension
and related cardiovascular disorder.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9916697
- **Project number:** 5R01AG062375-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCI CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Zhongjie Sun
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $447,552
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-05-01 → 2024-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9916697

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9916697, Epigenetic Regulation of Kidney Function and Blood Pressure (5R01AG062375-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9916697. Licensed CC0.

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