Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP), a chromatin-bound enzyme, is activated by cell oxidative stress. Because oxidative stress is also considered a main component of angiotensin II-mediated cell signaling, it was postulated that PARP could be a downstream target of angiotensin II-induced signaling leading to cardiac hypertrophy. To determine a role of PARP in angiotensin II-induced hypertrophy...

Angiotensin II regulates vascular structure through growth and apoptosis, with implications in pathophysiology. Subtypes of vascular smooth muscle cells with specific morphology, growth, or apoptotic features have been isolated. Here, we investigated the effects of angiotensin II on apoptosis of 2 morphologically different rat aortic smooth muscle cell phenotypes. Spindle and epithelioid cell l...

We have studied the effect of angiotensin II and bradykinin on prostaglandin output and vascular tone during extracellular calcium depletion and administration of calcium antagonists and calmodulin inhibitors to elucidate the mechanism of action in the isolated rat kidney perfused with Tyrode's solution. Administration of angiotensin II (0.028-0.28 nmol) or bradykinin (0.28-2.8 nmol) enhanced t...

We cloned a novel molecule interacting with angiotensin II type 1 receptor, which we named ATRAP (for angiotensin II type 1 receptor-associated protein). Previous in vitro studies showed that ATRAP significantly promotes constitutive internalization of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor and further attenuates angiotensin II-mediated hypertrophic responses in cardiomyocytes. The present study wa...

Oxidative stress is associated with vascular remodeling and increased preglomerular resistance that are both implicated in the pathogenesis of renal and cardiovascular disease. Angiotensin II induces superoxide production, which is metabolized by superoxide dismutase (SOD) or scavenged by NO. We investigated the hypothesis that SOD1 regulates renal microvascular remodeling, blood pressure, and ...

We previously reported the generation of transgenic mice containing the entire human renin gene with a 900-bp promoter. To determine whether all the required elements for angiotensin II–mediated suppression of human renin are present in these mice, angiotensin II was chronically infused by means of osmotic minipump at both low and high doses, 200 and 1000 ng/kg per minute, respectively. Blood p...

BACKGROUND The natural triterpenes, erythrodiol and uvaol, exert anti-inflammatory, vasorelaxing and anti-proliferative effects. Angiotensin II is a well-known profibrotic and proliferative agent that participates in the cardiac remodeling associated with different pathological situations through the stimulation and proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts. Therefore, the aim of the study was to in...

Angiotensin II exerts its action via at least two distinct receptor subtypes designated AT1 and AT2. AT1 receptors seem to be responsible for most of the known angiotensin II effects while the role of AT2 receptors is not yet clear. Adipocytes of adult rats express exclusively the AT1 subtype. Angiotensin II stimulates prostacyclin release in adult rat adipocytes and in mouse preadipocytes. In ...

Potassium is known to enhance the aldosterone-stimulating action of angiotensin II. Such a synergistic interaction of potassium with angiotensin II could represent an action by angiotensin II to potentiate potassium as a stimulus. To examine for this effect of angiotensin II on potassium, plasma aldosterone levels were measured before and after an infusion of potassium chloride (15 meq i.v.) in...

BUMC PROCEEDINGS 2003;16:123–126 The angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) represent a newer class of antihypertensive agents. Their mechanism of action differs from that of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which also affect the renin-angiotensin system. The ARBs were developed to overcome several of the deficiencies of ACE inhibitors: competitive inhibition of ACE results ...