Papel de la agiotensina II en el desarrollo aterosclerótico: efecto de su bloqueo / Role of angiotensin II in the development of atherosclerosis: effect of blockade

La angiotensina II, el principal efector del sistema renina-angiotensina, ejerce un papel importante en la génesis y en las complicaciones de la aterosclerosis. La angiotensina II estimula la producción de especies reactivas de oxígeno en el vaso que desempeñan un papel clave en la disfunción endotelial y en la oxidación de las lipoproteínas de baja densidad (LDL). Asimismo, este péptido participa en la inducción de la respuesta inflamatoria en la pared vascular mediante la producción de moléculas de adhesión y citoquinas quimiotácticas y proinflamatorias. La angiotensina II, además, estimula la proliferación y migración de células de músculo liso y modula el cambio fenotípico de las mismas dando lugar a un aumento de la síntesis de la matriz extracelular. Finalmente, la angiotensina II también participa en las complicaciones de la aterosclerosis al favorecer la ruptura de la placa y trombogenicidad de la misma. En consecuencia, el sistema renina-angiotensina desempeña un papel clave en la patofisiología de la aterosclerosis, por lo que su bloqueo ejercerá un efecto beneficioso sobre el desarrollo aterosclerótico previniendo las alteraciones trombóticas asociadas a él (AU)

Binding of angiotensin antagonists to rat liver and brain membranes measured ex vivo.

1. The effects of the angiotensin antagonists GR117289, losartan and Sar1Ala8-angiotensin II on the ex vivo binding of [125I]-Sar1Ile8-angiotensin II to rat liver and cortex/hippocampus (Cx/H) membranes have been investigated. 2. GR117289 (0.1-30 mg kg-1, s.c., 2 h pretreatment) caused a dose-dependent reduction in [125I]-Sar1Ile8-angiotensin II binding to both liver and cortex/hippocampus membranes. 3. Administration of a submaximal dose of GR117289 (1 mg kg-1, s.c.) indicated that the peak inhibition of binding in the liver occurred within 0.5 h, whereas the peak inhibition of binding in the Cx/H occurred 2 h after drug treatment. 4. The effect of GR117289 was long lasting. Binding was still reduced in the Cx/H 48 h after drug treatment (10 mg kg-1, s.c.) but had returned to normal 72 h after drug treatment. In the liver binding was still reduced 72 h after treatment with the same dose. 5. Losartan (1-30 mg kg-1, s.c.) was equipotent with GR117289 in its ability to reduce liver binding, but was less effective at inhibiting binding to central receptors. 6. The non-peptide antagonist Sar1Ala8-angiotensin II (3 and 10 mg kg-1) reduced binding in the liver but not in the Cx/H membranes. 7. These results suggest that, unlike the peptide antagonist Sar1Ala8-angiotensin II, the non-peptide angiotensin antagonists, GR117289 and losartan, are able to cross the blood brain barrier and occupy central angiotensin II receptors.

Reciprocal modulation of the binding of angiotensin agonists and antagonists to angiotensin receptors in smooth muscle.

1. Direct ligand binding studies have shown that the agonist 125I-[Sar1]Ang II and the antagonist 125I-[Sar1Ile8]Ang II bind to bovine uterus smooth muscle membranes in a time-dependent, reversible and saturable manner; both ligands had the same number of high affinity sites. 2. [Sar1Ile8]Ang II inhibited the binding of 125I-[Sar1]Ang II in a non-competitive manner by decreasing the number of high affinity sites without changing the binding affinity of the radioligand. 3. [Sar1]Ang II also inhibited the binding of 125I-[Sar1Ile8]Ang II in a non-competitive manner. 4. Dissociation of both radioligands from their receptor sites was fast enough that pseudo irreversible occupancy of the binding sites could not account for the observed non-competitive inhibition. 5. Displacement studies using 125I-[Sar1Ile8]Ang II as the radioligand provided evidence for the existence of two binding sites when the displacing ligand was [Sar1]Ang II but not when the displacing ligand was [Sar1Ile8]Ang II. 6. GTPS gamma S had no discernible effect on the binding of either 125I-[Sar1]Ang II or 125I-[Sar1Ile8]Ang II to bovine uterine membranes. 7. The present findings are consistent with an allosteric mechanism of antagonism for [Sar1Ile8]Ang II. The data are also consistent with a mechanism wherein agonist and antagonist ligands occupy different binding modes at the same receptor site and induce long-term conformational changes in the receptor which are idiosyncratic with respect to the nature of the ligand. An emerging relationship between the actions of angiotensin peptides and non-peptide mimetics of angiotensin is presented.