angiotensinogen and Necrosis

In the heart, secretory renin promotes hypertrophy, apoptosis, necrosis, fibrosis, and cardiac failure through angiotensin generation from angiotensinogen. Thus, inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system are among the most potent drugs in the treatment of cardiac failure. Renin transcripts have been identified encoding a renin isoform with unknown targets and unknown functions that are localized to the cytosol and mitochondria. We hypothesize that this isoform, in contrast to secretory renin, exerts cardioprotective effects in an angiotensin-independent manner. Cells overexpressing cytosolic renin were generated by transfection or obtained from CX(exon2-9)renin transgenic rats. Overexpression of cytosolic renin reduced the rate of necrosis in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts and in primary cardiomyocytes after glucose depletion. These effects were not mediated by angiotensin generation since an inhibitor of renin activity did not influence the in vitro effects. siRNA-mediated knockdown of endogenous cytosolic renin increased the rate of necrosis and aggravated the pro-necrotic effects of glucose depletion. Isolated perfused hearts obtained from transgenic rats overexpressing cytosolic renin exhibited a 50% reduction of infarct size after ischemia-reperfusion injury. Cytosolic renin is essential for survival, both under basal conditions and during glucose starvation. The protective effects are angiotensin-independent and contrary to the known actions of secretory renin.. A cytosolic isoform of renin with unknown functions is expressed in the heart. Cytosolic renin diminishes ischemia induced damage to the heart. The protective effects of cytosolic renin contradict the known function of secretory renin. The effects of cytosolic renin are not mediated via angiotensin generation. Renin-binding protein is a potential target for cytosolic renin.

Topics: Angiotensinogen; Animals; Cardiotonic Agents; Cells, Cultured; Cytosol; Glucose; Heart; Myocardial Ischemia; Myocytes, Cardiac; Necrosis; Protein Isoforms; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rats, Transgenic; Rats, Wistar; Renin; Renin-Angiotensin System; RNA Interference; RNA, Small Interfering

Amiodarone (AM) is a potent antidysrhythmic agent that can cause potentially life-threatening pulmonary fibrosis, and N-desethylamiodarone (DEA), an AM metabolite, may contribute to AM toxicity. Apoptotic cell death in nontransformed human peripheral lung epithelial 1A (HPL1A) cells was assessed by annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (ann-V) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), and necrotic cell death was assessed by propidium iodide (PI) staining. The percentage of cells that were PI-positive increased more than six times with 20 μM AM and approximately doubled with 3.5 μM DEA, relative to control. The percentage of cells that were ann-V-positive decreased by more than 80% after 24-h exposure to 10 μM AM but more than doubled after 24-h incubation with 3.5 μM DEA. Incubation for 24 h with 5.0 μM DEA increased the percentage of cells that were TUNEL-positive more than six times. Incubation with AM (2.5 μM) or DEA (1-2 μM) for 24 h did not significantly alter angiotensinogen mRNA levels. Furthermore, angiotensin II (100 pM-1 μM) alone or in combination with AM or DEA did not alter cytotoxicity, and pretreatment with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and antioxidant captopril (3-6 μM) did not protect against AM or DEA cytotoxicity. In conclusion, AM activates primarily necrotic pathways, whereas DEA activates both necrotic and apoptotic pathways, and the renin-angiotensin system does not seem to be involved in AM or DEA cytotoxicity in HPL1A cells.

Topics: Amiodarone; Angiotensin II; Angiotensinogen; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Apoptosis; Cell Survival; Cells, Cultured; Epithelial Cells; Humans; In Situ Nick-End Labeling; Lung; Necrosis; RNA, Messenger

We are investigating a double transgenic rat (dTGR) model, in which rats transgenic for the human angiotensinogen and renin genes are crossed. These rats develop moderately severe hypertension but die of end-organ cardiac and renal damage by week 7. The heart shows necrosis and fibrosis, whereas the kidneys resemble the hemolytic-uremic syndrome vasculopathy. Surface adhesion molecules (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) are expressed early on the endothelium, while the corresponding ligands are found on circulating leukocytes. Leukocyte infiltration in the vascular wall accompanies PAI-1, MCP-1, iNOS and Tissue Factor expression. Furthermore we show evidence that Ang II causes the upregulation of NF-kB in our model.. We started PDTC-treatment on four weeks old dTGR (200 mg/kg sc) and age-matched SD rats. Blood-pressure- and albuminuria- measurements were monitored during the treatment period (four weeks). The seven weeks old animals were killed, hearts and kidneys were isolated and used for immunohistochemical-and electromobility shift assay analysis.. Chronic treatment with the antioxidant PDTC decreased blood pressure (162 plus minus 8 vs. 190 plus minus 7 mm Hg, p = 0.02). Cardiac hypertrophy index was significantly reduced (4.90 plus minus 0.1 vs. 5.77 plus minus 0.1 mg/g, p < 0.001) compared to dTGR. PDTC reduced 24 h albuminuria by 85 % (2.7 plus minus 0.5 vs. 18.0 plus minus 3.4 mg/d, p < 0.001) and prevented death significantly. Vascular injury was ameliorated in small renal and cardiac vessels. PDTC inhibited NF-kappaB binding activity in heart and kidney. Immunohistochemical analysis shows increased expression of the p65 NF-kappaB subunit in the endothelium, smooth muscles cells of damaged small vessels, infiltrated cells, glomeruli, tubuli and collecting ducts of dTGR. PDTC markedly reduced the immunoreactivity of p65.. Our data show that inhibition of NF-kappaB by PDTC markedly reduces inflammation, iNOS expression in the dTGR most likely leading to decreased cytotoxicity, and cell proliferation. Thus, NF-kappaB activation plays an important role in ANG II-induced end-organ damage.

Topics: Angiotensin II; Angiotensinogen; Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Cardiomegaly; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; Enzyme Inhibitors; Heart; Humans; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; Kidney; Models, Animal; Myocarditis; Necrosis; Nephritis; NF-kappa B; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; Oxidative Stress; Proline; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Renin; Thiocarbamates; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1