The present invention relates to a composition for screening
antihypertensive drugs, which contains a mammalian TCTP gene or a protein
expressed therefrom, as well as a method for screening antihypertensive
drugs using the composition. TCTP contained in the inventive composition
acts as a cytoplasmic inhibitor of the Na/K APTase pump, thus causing
hypertension and heart hypertrophy. Therefore, the inventive composition
and the screening method using the same will be useful for the
investigation and development of antihypertensive drugs. Furthermore, the
inventive TCTP-overexpressing transgenic mice shows hypertension or heart
hypertrophy as a phenotype. Thus, the inventive transgenic mice will be
useful in screening test substances developed for the treatment and
improvement of hypertension and heart hypertrophy, by administering the
test substance to the transgenic mice and observing the extent of
treatment and improvement.