CINCINNATI, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are on the track of a hormone that may cause some types of high blood pressure.
The hormone may also cause preeclampsia, a combination of high blood pressure and kidney problems in pregnant women.
Dr. Jerry Lingrel, the lead investigator, said they have identified a binding site in human cells for the cardiac glycosides, which include digitalis and other powerful drugs. They believe that the site could not have evolved to deal with external drugs and must act on something produced within the body.
Investigators had already hypothesized that there must be something regulating blood pressure by reacting with another binding site.
The researchers believe that the hormone must be overproduced in women who develop preeclampsia.
"Once you know that blood pressure regulation occurs as a result of interaction between the binding site and a hormone -- or one of several hormones -- you can neutralize the hormone, probably with a monoclonal antibody (an antibody engineered in a laboratory to react with a specific target), and then the hypertension patient is going to be in good shape," Lingrel said.
