Puerarin attenuates angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibroblast proliferation via the promotion of catalase activity and the inhibition of hydrogen peroxide-dependent Rac-1 activation / 中国天然药物

The aims of the present study were to evaluate the effects of puerarin on angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibroblast proliferation and to explore the molecular mechanisms of action. Considering the role of HO in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase activation, we hypothesized that modulating catalase activity would be a potential target in regulating the redox-sensitive pathways. Our results showed that the activation of Rac1 was dependent on the levels of intracellular HO. Puerarin blocked the phosphorylation of extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK)1/2, abolished activator protein (AP)-1 binding activity, and eventually attenuated cardiac fibroblast proliferation through the inhibition of HO-dependent Rac1 activation. Further studies revealed that angiotensin II treatment resulted in decreased catalase protein expression and enzyme activity, which was disrupted by puerarin via the upregulation of catalase protein expression at the transcriptional level and the prolonged protein degradation. These findings indicated that the anti-proliferation mechanism of puerarin was mainly through blocking angiontensin II-triggered downregulation of catalase expression and HO-dependent Rac1 activation.

Puerarin attenuates angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibroblast proliferation via the promotion of catalase activity and the inhibition of hydrogen peroxide-dependent Rac-1 activation / 中国天然药物

The aims of the present study were to evaluate the effects of puerarin on angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibroblast proliferation and to explore the molecular mechanisms of action. Considering the role of HO in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase activation, we hypothesized that modulating catalase activity would be a potential target in regulating the redox-sensitive pathways. Our results showed that the activation of Rac1 was dependent on the levels of intracellular HO. Puerarin blocked the phosphorylation of extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK)1/2, abolished activator protein (AP)-1 binding activity, and eventually attenuated cardiac fibroblast proliferation through the inhibition of HO-dependent Rac1 activation. Further studies revealed that angiotensin II treatment resulted in decreased catalase protein expression and enzyme activity, which was disrupted by puerarin via the upregulation of catalase protein expression at the transcriptional level and the prolonged protein degradation. These findings indicated that the anti-proliferation mechanism of puerarin was mainly through blocking angiontensin II-triggered downregulation of catalase expression and HO-dependent Rac1 activation.

High fat diet confers vascular hyper-contractility against angiotensin II through upregulation of MLCK and CPI-17

Obesity is a critical risk factor for the hypertension. Although angiotensin II (Ang II) in obese individuals is known to be upregulated in obesity-induced hypertension, direct evidence that explains the underlying mechanism for increased vascular tone and consequent increase in blood pressure (BP) is largely unknown. The purpose of this study is to investigate the novel mechanism underlying Ang II-induced hyper-contractility and hypertension in obese rats. Eight-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with 60% fat diet or normal diet for 4 months. Body weight, plasma lipid profile, plasma Ang II level, BP, Ang II-induced vascular contraction, and expression of regulatory proteins modulating vascular contraction with/without Ang II stimulation were measured. As a result, high fat diet (HFD) accelerated age-dependent body weight gaining along with increased plasma Ang II concentration. It also increased BP and Ang II-induced aortic contraction. Basal expression of p-CPI-17 and myosin light chain (MLC) kinase was increased by HFD along with increased phosphorylation of MLC. Ang II-induced phosphorylation of CPI-17 and MLC were also higher in HFD group than control group. In conclusion HFD-induced hypertension is through at least in part by increased vascular contractility via increased expression and activation of contractile proteins and subsequent MLC phosphorylation induced by increased Ang II.

A Case of Neonate with Acute Renal Failure after Maternal Treatment with Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker / 대한주산의학회잡지

Hypertension is common medical problem encountered during pregnancy. However medication administered for maternal hypertension may cause fetal or neonatal complications. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker are rarely used during pregnancy, and there are few reports about the effect of them, because administration of these drugs during pregnancy may cause oligohydramnios, renal tubular dysplasia, hypocalvaria, pulmonary hypoplasia, intrauterine growth retardation, neonatal anuria and persistent ductus arteriosus. We report a case of neonatal acute renal failure by angiotensin II receptor blocker during pregnancy. In this case, the neonate with meconium aspiration was admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). During the NICU stay, neonatal anuria occurred, and there was a medical history that his mother took Candesartan Cilexeril (Atacand(R)), one of angiotensin II receptor blockers during pregnancy. The neonate showed intrinsic acute renal failure, so fluid was restricted and diuretics were administered to the neonate, and after 10 days, anuria improved.

Influência do bloqueio de receptores do tipo 1 (AT1) sobre o perfil metabólico, endócrino e cardiovascular de ratos obesos / Influence of blocking receptor type 1 (AT1) profile metabolic, endocrine and cardiovascular obese mice

Variados agentes moleculares ativam mecanismos determinantes de alterações teciduais do coração, com frequente ocorrência de interação bioquímica entre estímulos distintos, como vigente entre angiotensina II (Ang-II) e insulina. A sinalização molecular principiada pela Ang-II é carreada a partir do acoplamento com receptores do tipo 1 (AT1) e culmina na ativação de proteínas quinases ativadas do mitógeno (MAPK), como extracellular signal-regulated (ERK) e c-Jun N-terminal (JNK). Em analogia, a ação da insulina sobre o receptor de insulina ( RI) determina a estimulação de respostas proliferativas e efeitos vinculados ao metabolismo de macro e micronutrientes. Por meio da ativação de receptores AT1, a Ang-II interfere na sinalização da insulina, regulando a fosforilação de tirosina e dessensibilizando três mensageiros de estímulos metabólicos: o receptor ( RI), o substrato receptor de insulina (IRS) e o peptídeo fosfatidil inositol 3 quinase (PI3K). Embora essas manifestações configurem importantes mecanismos de resistência à insulina na obesidade, não foram encontrados estudos abordando essa relação em modelos experimentais de obesidade exógena. O objetivo deste trabalho foi testar a hipótese de que a obesidade acarreta distúrbios metabólicos, endócrinos e cardiovasculares, incluindo remodelação e resistência insulínica cardíaca, decorrentes da ativação de receptores AT1. Ratos Wistar-Kyoto foram distribuídos em dois grupos: C e OB; ambos os grupos C e OB receberam, respectivamente, dietas padrão e hipercalórica durante 30 semanas...

Several molecular agents trigger cytosolic mechanisms of cardiac remodeling, with common occurrence of biochemical interaction between different stimuli, as observed between angiotensin II (Ang-II) and insulin. The molecular signaling from Ang-II is carried through the coupling of the receptor type 1 (AT1) and culminates in the activation of the mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK), including extracellular signal-regulated (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal (JNK). Similarly, the action of insulin on the insulin receptor ( RI) determines the stimulation of proliferative responses and multiple effects linked to metabolism of macro and micronutrients. Through activation of AT1 receptors, Ang-II interferes with insulin signaling by regulating the phosphorylation of three messengers of metabolic stimuli from insulin: the receptor ( IR), insulin receptor substrate (IRS) and phosphatidil inositol 3-kinase (PI3K). Although these events configure important mechanisms of insulin resistance in obesity, there are no studies addressing this relationship in experimental models of exogenous obesity. This study investigated whether obesity causes metabolic, endocrine and cardiovascular diseases, including insulin resistance and cardiac remodeling, due activation of AT1 receptors. Wistar-Kyoto rats (n=40) were subjected to control (C) or hypercaloric diet (OB) for 30 weeks and then assigned to four groups: C, C+Los, OB, and OB+Los. Los-groups received losartan (30mg/kg/day) during five weeks. Afterward, besides the nutritional and biometric analyzes, glycemia, lipids, insulin, leptin and activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme were also evaluated...