Human soluble prorenin receptor expressed in mouse renal collecting duct shows sex-specific effect on cardiorenal function

Soluble prorenin receptor (sPRR), a component of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), has been identified as a plasma biomarker for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases in humans. Despite studies showing that sPRR in the kidney is produced by tubular cells in the renal collecting duct (CD), its biological actions modulating cardiorenal function in physiological conditions remain unknown. Therefore, the objective of our study was to investigate whether CD-derived human sPRR (HsPRR) expression influences cardiorenal function and examine sex and circadian differences. Thus, we investigated the status of the intrarenal RAS, water and electrolyte balance, renal filtration capacity, and blood pressure (BP) regulation in CD-HsPRR and control (CTL) mice. CD-HsPRR mice were generated by breeding human sPRR-Myc-tag mice with Hoxb7/Cre mice. Renal sPRR expression increased in CD-HsPRR mice, but circulating sPRR and RAS levels were unchanged compared with CTL mice. Only female littermates expressing CD-HsPRR showed 1) increased 24-h BP, 2) an impaired BP response to an acute dose of losartan and attenuated angiotensin II (ANG II)-induced hypertension, 3) reduced angiotensin-converting enzyme activity and ANG II content in the renal cortex, and 4) decreased glomerular filtration rate, with no changes in natriuresis and kaliuresis despite upregulation of the β-subunit of the epithelial Na+ channel in the renal cortex. These cardiorenal alterations were displayed only during the active phase of the day. Taken together, these data suggest that HsPRR could interact with ANG II type 1 receptors mediating sex-specific, ANG II-independent renal dysfunction and a prohypertensive phenotype in a sex-specific manner. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We successfully generated a humanized mouse model that expresses human sPRR in the collecting duct. Collecting duct-derived human sPRR did not change circulating sPRR and RAS levels but increased daytime BP in female mice while showing an attenuated angiotensin II-dependent pressor response. These findings may aid in elucidating the mechanisms by which women show uncontrolled BP in response to antihypertensive treatments targeting the RAS, improving approaches to reduce uncontrolled BP and chronic kidney disease incidences in women.