cathepsin-g and Hypertension

Hypertension is commonly observed in alcoholics. Both the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and the non-renin-angiotensin system (NRAS) have been implicated in the dynamics of blood pressure maintenance. In bilaterally nephrectomized rats, acetaldehyde has been reported to enhance the generation of the rate-limiting angiotensin I (ANG I) in the plasma, and in humans it inhibits the activity of several angiotensinases (A, B, and M) in the serum, thereby promoting a hypertensive set of reactions. We report here the results of a study on the effect of acetaldehyde upon cathepsin G and mast cell chymase. Acetaldehyde enhanced cathepsin G activity at all of the concentrations tested between 11.2 and 223.5 mM in a statistically significant manner. Since cathepsin G is one of several enzymes transforming ANG I into ANG II and is also capable of cleaving ANG II directly from angiotensinogen, we suggest that alcoholism, which will generate exogenous acetaldehyde from ingested alcohol, may be a contributory factor for an elevated cathepsin G activity and, consequently, hypertension via the NRAS. Chymase activity also is elevated in the presence of 440 mM acetaldehyde and diminished in the presence of 27 mM acetaldehyde. Since both enzymes also degrade ANG II, the degradative effects of each enzyme on ANG II may neutralize one another.

Topics: Acetaldehyde; Alcoholism; Animals; Cathepsin G; Cathepsins; Chymases; Hypertension; Rats; Renin-Angiotensin System; Serine Endopeptidases

To analyze activity of chymotrypsin-like plasma proteinases (CTP) in patients with various cardiovascular diseases.. CTP activity was studied in 82 patients with various cardiovascular diseases: 13 coronary heart disease patients with normal arterial pressure, 49 patients with essential hypertension (EH) and secondary arterial hypertension, 20 patients with nonspecific aortic arteritis. 28 donors served control.. CTP activity in plasma of patients with EH rose 4 times compared to donors. If EH patients had concurrent diseases (CHD, chronic pyelonephritis, atherosclerosis of extracranial arteries), CTP activity may increase by 30-300%. In patients with nonspecific aortic arteritis CTP activity in blood plasma is 17.5 times higher than in donors.. High CTP activity in cardiovascular patients may be explained by chymase and cathepsin G release into blood flow indicating activation of alternative to ACE pathway of angiotensin II production or the presence of the inflammatory process.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Biomarkers; Cathepsin G; Cathepsins; Chymases; Female; Giant Cell Arteritis; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Ischemia; Serine Endopeptidases; Severity of Illness Index