In agreement with our previous observations, our new results also show a promoting effect of hypertension or the T-cell mitogen (Con A) on calcein dye transfer between peripheral blood lymphocytes, and enhanced mRNA expression levels of IL-2 and IL-6 in Con A-stimulated lymphocytes from SHRs. An important implication of our data is that the enhanced GJIC in lymphocytes from SHRs may be involved in the hypertensive inflammatory response. The gene discussed is IL2; the disease is hypertensive disorder.