The effect of a high-salt diet on vascular TRPV4 channel regulation, however, appears to vary depending on species and the vascular bed studied; in the mesenteric arteries of rats, a high-salt diet (4% NaCl for 3weeks) increased TRPV4 expression and augmented TRPV4-induced blood pressure lowering (Gao et al., 2009), suggesting that TRPV4 may be upregulated to maintain endothelial function and blood pressure during salt-induced hypertension. This evidence concerns the gene TRPV4 and hypertensive disorder.