Scientists studied a special protein called CPT2 that helps your body use fat for energy, especially in your kidneys. They created rats with less of this protein to see what would happen when they ate salty or special diets. The researchers found that this protein plays a complicated role in how your body handles salt and maintains healthy blood pressure. While the study was done in rats, it could eventually help doctors understand why some people develop high blood pressure and how diet affects this condition.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How a protein called CPT2, which helps your body burn fat for energy, affects blood pressure when you eat salty or special diets
  • Who participated: Laboratory rats bred to have lower levels of the CPT2 protein, compared to normal rats. The study included both baseline measurements and responses to different diets.
  • Key finding: Rats with less CPT2 protein showed interesting changes: they had normal blood pressure on a regular high-salt diet, but when given a high-salt diet combined with a ketogenic diet (very low carb), they had lower blood pressure but developed problems with fat levels in their blood
  • What it means for you: This research suggests that how efficiently your body burns fat may be connected to blood pressure control, but it’s still early-stage research in animals. Don’t change your diet based on this study alone—talk to your doctor about managing blood pressure through proven methods like reducing salt, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight

The Research Details

Scientists created a special group of rats that had only one working copy of the CPT2 gene instead of the normal two copies. This protein is important because it helps cells break down fatty acids to create energy, especially in kidney cells. They compared these modified rats to normal rats and watched how their bodies responded to different diets over time.

The researchers tested three different eating conditions: normal diet, high-salt diet, and a high-salt ketogenic diet (very low in carbohydrates). They measured blood pressure, checked urine samples, and analyzed blood chemistry to see how the different diets affected the rats’ bodies.

They chose to study salt-sensitive rats because some people’s blood pressure is more affected by salt intake than others. By understanding how CPT2 works in these rats, scientists hope to eventually understand why some people develop high blood pressure more easily.

The kidneys are like your body’s filter and use a lot of energy. This study helps explain how kidneys get their energy and what happens when that energy system doesn’t work properly. Understanding this connection could eventually lead to new ways to prevent or treat high blood pressure, especially in people whose blood pressure is very sensitive to salt.

This is laboratory research using animal models, which means the findings may not directly apply to humans yet. The study was published in a respected scientific journal focused on cell physiology. However, because the sample size wasn’t specified and this is preliminary research, these results should be seen as a starting point for future studies rather than definitive answers. Animal studies are important for understanding basic biology but need to be followed by human research before making medical recommendations.

What the Results Show

When rats with reduced CPT2 ate a normal high-salt diet, their blood pressure stayed about the same as normal rats—there was no significant difference. This was somewhat surprising because the researchers expected to see changes.

However, when these same rats ate a high-salt ketogenic diet (very low in carbs), something interesting happened. Their blood pressure actually became lower than the normal rats, which might seem like a good thing. But this came with a problem: their blood fat levels became unbalanced, and fatty acid compounds built up in their blood.

At baseline (before any special diets), the modified rats showed signs that their mitochondria—the energy factories inside cells—were working differently. Their urine contained fewer byproducts of the energy-making process, suggesting their cells were handling energy differently than normal rats.

The study revealed that CPT2 affects how your body handles different types of diets. When the body can’t use the normal fat-burning pathway efficiently, it tries to compensate, but this compensation can cause problems like abnormal fat levels in the blood. The accumulation of long-chain acylcarnitines (fatty acids stuck to a molecule called carnitine) suggests that fatty acids were building up because the body couldn’t process them properly.

Previous research showed that eating a high-salt diet actually increases fat burning in the kidneys of salt-sensitive rats and decreases these fatty acid compounds. This new study adds complexity by showing that when CPT2 is reduced, the body’s response to diet changes in unexpected ways. The findings suggest that CPT2 is more important than previously thought for how the body adapts to dietary stress.

This research was conducted only in rats, so we don’t know if the same effects would occur in humans. The study didn’t specify exactly how many rats were used or provide detailed statistical analysis. Homozygous knockouts (rats with no working CPT2 at all) died before birth, so researchers could only study rats with one working copy, which may not fully show what happens when CPT2 is completely absent. The study is preliminary and would need to be followed by human research before any medical recommendations could be made.

The Bottom Line

At this stage, there are no direct recommendations for people based on this research. This is basic science research that helps scientists understand how the body works. If you have high blood pressure, continue following your doctor’s advice about reducing salt, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and taking prescribed medications if needed. Do not attempt to change your diet based on this animal study.

Researchers studying high blood pressure, kidney disease, and how the body uses fat for energy should pay attention to this work. People with salt-sensitive high blood pressure may eventually benefit from treatments based on this research, but that’s years away. People considering ketogenic diets, especially those with high blood pressure or family history of it, should consult their doctor—this study raises questions about how such diets might affect fat metabolism in certain people.

This is very early-stage research. It typically takes 10-15 years for findings from animal studies to lead to treatments available to patients. The next steps would be more detailed animal studies, then human studies, then clinical trials before any new treatments could be developed.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track daily sodium intake (in milligrams) and blood pressure readings at the same time each day. Note any dietary changes, especially if experimenting with low-carb diets, and watch for patterns between salt intake and blood pressure changes over 2-4 week periods.
  • Use the app to set a daily sodium target (ideally under 2,300 mg per day as recommended by health guidelines) and log meals to monitor salt intake. If you’re considering a ketogenic or other special diet, use the app to track how your blood pressure responds before and after making dietary changes, and share this data with your doctor.
  • Establish a baseline by recording blood pressure and diet for 2 weeks, then make one dietary change at a time while continuing to track both metrics. Review trends monthly with your healthcare provider to ensure any dietary experiments are safe and effective for your individual situation.

This research was conducted in laboratory rats and has not been tested in humans. The findings are preliminary and should not be used to make decisions about your diet or blood pressure management. If you have high blood pressure or are considering significant dietary changes (such as a ketogenic diet), consult with your doctor or a registered dietitian before making changes. This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice. Do not stop taking blood pressure medications or make other medical changes based on this research.