A role for endothelin ETA receptors in regulation of renal function in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Factors regulating the renal circulation in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Hypertension is one of the leading causes of health morbidity and mortality which are linked to many life threatening diseases such as stroke heart problems and renal dysfunction.

The integrity of renal microcirculation is crucial to maintaining the clearance and the excretory function in the normotensive and hypertensive conditions. Furthermore, any alteration in the renal function is involved in the pathophysiology of hypertension.

The aim of this review is to provide a brief discussion of some factors that regulate renal haemodynamics in spontaneously hypertensive rats, an animal model of hypertension, and how these factors are linked to the disease.

Endothelin ETA receptor antagonist did not affect development of tolerance to glyceryl trinitrate in rat

Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), extensively used for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders, is associated with rapid development of tolerance. The exact mechanism responsible for tolerance development to GTN is still not known. Recently, it has been demonstrated that GTN tolerance is associated with increased expression of endothelin (ET). This study was carried out to determine the effect of ET(A) receptor antagonist, BMS182874, on the development of tolerance to GTN in urethane-anaesthetized rats. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) were continuously recorded in vehicle- and BMS182874 (3 mg kg(-1), i.v.)-treated rats. GTN was infused at the rate of 10 microg min(-1), intravenously for 4 h. Tolerance to GTN was determined using challenge doses of GTN (10, 30 and 90 microg, i.v.). GTN produced a fall in DBP, SBP and an increase in HR. In vehicle-treated rats, the fall in SBP before induction of GTN tolerance was 28 +/- 2, 43 +/- 4 and 52 +/- 4 mmHg with 10, 30 and 90 microg GTN, respectively. However, following GTN infusion (10 microg min(-1), i.v. for 4 h) a rapid development of tolerance was observed and the fall in SBP was 1 +/- 1, 9 +/- 4 and 15 +/- 4 mmHg with 10, 30 and 90 microg GTN, respectively. Similarly, in BMS182874-treated rats the fall in SBP in non-tolerant rats was 28 +/- 4, 42 +/- 4 and 48 +/- 5 mmHg with 10, 30 and 90 microg GTN, respectively. In BMS182874-treated rats following GTN infusion (10 microg min(-1), i.v. for 4 h) a rapid development of tolerance was observed and the fall in SBP was 4 +/- 3, 10 +/- 2 and 13 +/- 4 mmHg with 10, 30 and 90 microg GTN, respectively. The decrease in DBP and SBP in vehicle- and BMS182874-treated GTN-tolerant rats was statistically similar. These results suggest that ET(A) receptor antagonist BMS182874 did not affect development of tolerance to GTN in rats.

Endothelin-1, endothelin receptors and ecNOS gene transcription in vital organs during traumatic shock in rats

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a vasoconstrictor peptide that may play an important role in the pathophysiology of severe trauma. We examined ET-1 gene expression in vital organs (i.e., heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and small intestine) during murine traumatic shock using ribonuclease protection assays. Our data show that ET-1 mRNA was significantly increased in the lungs two hours after trauma when compared with control anesthetized rats. There was also a significant increase in ET-1 transcripts occurring in the kidneys, heart and liver. During these experimental conditions, we also observed statistically significant increased endothelin type B (ET(B)) receptor mRNA expression in the lung, heart, liver, kidney and small intestine. Expression of endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) gene, which is functionally coupled to ET(B) receptor, also was increased in vital organs during traumatic shock. Endothelin type A (ET(A)) receptor gene expression was slightly decreased in the lung, liver and small intestine. These results suggest that ET-1 and ET(B) mRNA expression are mainly increased in the lung and other vital organs and may play a functional role in the pathophysiology of murine traumatic shock.

State-of-the-Art lecture. Role of endothelin-1 in hypertension

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is overexpressed in the vascular wall in certain models of experimental hypertension: deoxycorticosterone acetate salt-treated rats, deoxycorticosterone acetate salt-treated spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), stroke-prone SHR, Dahl salt-sensitive rats, angiotensin II-infused rats, and 1-kidney 1 clip Goldblatt rats; it is not overexpressed in SHR, 2-kidney 1-clip hypertensive rats, or L-NAME-treated rats. In hypertensive rats without generalized vascular overexpression, however, expression of ET-1 was often enhanced in intramyocardial coronary arteries, suggesting a role of endothelin in myocardial ischemia in hypertension. In rats overexpressing ET-1, ET(A/B) and ET(A)-selective receptor antagonists lowered blood pressure and reduced vascular growth, particularly in small arteries, beyond what could be attributed to blood pressure lowering, suggesting a direct effect of ET-1 on growth. Hypertensive rats treated with endothelin antagonists are protected from stroke and renal injury. The ET(A/B) antagonist bosentan induced blood-pressure reductions in mildly hypertensive patients similar to those achieved with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor. Moderately to severely hypertensive patients presented with enhanced expression of prepro-ET-1 mRNA in the endothelium of subcutaneous resistance arteries, suggesting that these stages of hypertension may respond particularly well to endothelin antagonism. Hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease have increased arterial expression of ET-1, and increased plasma levels of immunoreactive endothelin have been described in black patients. ET-1 plays an important role in atherosclerosis, for which hypertension is an important risk factor. Thus, ET-1 may be involved in experimental and human hypertension. Endothelin antagonists may prove effective as disease-modifying agents if they are shown clinically, as they are experimentally, to offer target organ protection and reduce long-term complications of hypertension. This remains to be demonstrated in humans.

Endothelin and endothelin antagonists in hypertension

The endothelins (ET) are potent 21-amino-acid vasoconstrictor peptides produced in many different tissues, particularly in the endothelium of blood vessels. ET-1 is the main endothelin secreted by the endothelium, and acts in a paracrine or autocrine fashion on blood vessels by interacting with ETA or ETB receptors on smooth muscle to stimulate contraction or on ETB receptors on endothelial cells to induce the release of vasorelaxants (nitric oxide and prostacyclin). Production of ET-1 is enhanced in several experimental models of hypertension in the rat, such as sodium-sensitive forms, e.g. deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive, DOCA-salt-treated spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Dahl salt-sensitive rats, as well as other models such as stroke-prone SHR, angiotensin II-infused rats and fructose-fed rats, and possibly 1-K 1C Goldblatt hypertensive rats. In contrast, SHR, 2-K 1C Goldblatt hypertensive rats and nitric oxide-deficient (L-NAME-treated) hypertensive rats do not exhibit an ET-1 component. Endothelin dependency is manifested by excessive vascular growth, particularly in small arteries, and blood pressure lowering and regression of vascular growth after treatment with endothelin antagonists. The latter may be combined ETA/ETB or selective ETA antagonists, of which several are orally active and already in clinical development. In humans, endothelin-dependent vascular tone has been shown in studies of forearm blood flow. Enhanced expression of ET-1 mRNA has been demonstrated in the endothelium of small arteries of patients with moderate to severe hypertension. In a 4-week trial the combined ETA/ETB antagonist bosentan reduced the blood pressure of essential hypertensive patients equally to enalapril. Bosentan improved hemodynamics in patients with heart failure in acute and 2-week-long studies. Endothelin antagonists also offer promise in a rapidly fatal condition, primary pulmonary hypertension. Thus, the endothelin system appears to be involved in different forms of cardiovascular disease in experimental animals and humans, and its interruption offers great promise as a new therapeutic intervention in hypertension, heart failure and other diseases.

Hypoxia stimulates human preproendothelin-1 promoter activity in transgenic mice

Significant elevations in endothelin (ET)-1 levels accompany many diseases, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms are unclear. To investigate the in vivo regulation of human preproendothelin-1 (PPET-1), we examined the activity of the PPET-1 promoter in transgenic mice exposed to hypoxia. Mice expressing one of three PPET-1 promoter-luciferase (PPET-1/LUC) reporter transgenes (approximately 2.5 kb, 138 bp, or none of the 5'-flanking sequences of the PPET-1 gene) were generated. LUC expression was reduced in mice with a truncated 138-bp PPET-1 promoter. Exposure of mice bearing the 2.5-kb PPET-1/LUC transgene to hypoxia (10% O2 for 24 h) increased LUC expression sixfold in pulmonary tissue but only twofold in other tissues. In situ hybridization revealed the strongest transgene expression in the pulmonary vasculature and bronchiolar epithelium. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that hypoxic induction of the PPET-1 gene leads to increased pulmonary production of ET-1 in diseases associated with low O2 tension.