GJA1 and Hypertension: We aimed to examine the cellular distribution of Cx40 and Cx43 in peripheral blood lymphocytes to see whether hypertension-mediated inflammation induces upregulation of Cx40 and Cx43 expressions in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of SHRs. Indirect immunofluorescence staining and confocal microscopy were used to study the presence and distribution of Cx40 and Cx43 in the cytoplasm and at the plasma membrane of peripheral blood lymphocytes from WKY rats and SHRs.