Background and PurposeThe contribution of endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) in a B2KO mouse model of a high salt‐induced arterial hypertension was investigated.Experimental ApproachWild‐type (WT) or B2KO mice receiving a normal diet (ND) or a high‐salt diet (HSD) were monitored by radiotelemetry up to a maximum of 18 weeks. At the 12th week of diet, subgroups under ND or HSD received by gavage the ETA antagonist A127722 during 5 days. In addition, blood samples were collected and, following euthanasia, the lungs, heart and kidneys were extracted, homogenized and assayed for ET‐1 by RIA. In a separate series of experiments, the ETA antagonist, BQ123 was tested against the pressor responses to a NOS inhibitor L‐NG‐nitroarginine methyl ester (L‐NAME) in anaesthetized WT and B2KO mice.Key ResultsIn B2KO, but not WT mice, 12 weeks of HSD triggered a maximal increase of the mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 19.1 ± 2.8 mmHg, which was corrected by A127722 to MAP levels found in B2KO mice under ND. Significant increases in immunoreactive ET‐1 were detected only in the lungs of B2KO mice under HSD. On the other hand, metabolic studies showed that sodium urinary excretion was markedly reduced in B2KO compared with WT mice under ND. Finally, BQ123 (2 mg·kg−1) reduced by 50% the pressor response to L‐NAME (2 mg·kg−1) in B2KO, but not WT mice under anaesthesia.Conclusions and ImplicationsOur results support the concept that functional B2 receptors oppose high salt‐induced increments in MAP, which are corrected by an ETA receptor antagonist in this mouse model of experimental hypertension.