In human hypertension (HT) plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and soluble TNF receptor 2 fragment (sTNF-R2) are increased, and the TNF-R2 gene (TNFRSF1B) has been implicated. Therefore, we measured Tnfr2 mRNA in kidney, adrenal, heart, and aorta from rats with ACTH-induced, corticosterone-induced, and spontaneous HT (SHR), and tested the effect of blockade of TNF-alpha by a recombinant TNF-R2 fragment (huTNFR:Fc) on development of HT in the ACTH model. Tnfr2 mRNA was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction, as were internal controls, beta-actin, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA. The results showed no differences in tissue Tnfr2 mRNA between HT and control rats. The ACTH-induced HT was not affected by huTNFR:Fc coadministration. The findings thus offer no support for altered Tnfr2 expression in the rat models studied.