This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hasegawa, K. Articles by Sasayama, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hasegawa, K. Articles by Sasayama, S.

Hypertension, Vol 23, 288-293, Copyright © 1994 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Endothelin-1-selective receptor in the arterial intima of patients with hypertension

K Hasegawa, H Fujiwara, K Doyama, T Inada, S Ohtani, T Fujiwara, K Hosoda, K Nakao and S Sasayama
Third Division, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.

Endothelin-1 is a potent vasoconstrictor produced by vascular endothelial cells. A recently cloned endothelin-1-selective receptor, the endothelin-A receptor, mediates the vasoconstrictive action of endothelin-1. Because endothelin-1 also possesses mitogenic properties, it may play a role in regulating the proliferation of intimal smooth muscle cells. In this study, we analyzed the expression of endothelin-A receptor gene in the thickened arterial intima of patients with hypertension. Internal mammary artery specimens obtained from 12 patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery were subjected to in situ hybridization using a digoxigenin-labeled cRNA probe. High, homogeneous signals of endothelin-A receptor mRNA were observed in the medial smooth muscle cells of all vessels examined but not in the endothelial cells. Patients with hypertension displayed more severe intimal thickening than those without hypertension. Immunohistochemical analysis suggested that almost all of the intimal proliferative cells originated from smooth muscle cells. In contrast to media, endothelin-A receptor mRNA signals in intimal smooth muscle cells were low and heterogeneous. In the thickened arterial intima of hypertensive patients, the signals were detected just beneath the luminal endothelium but not deep in the intimal smooth muscle cell layer. By contrast, staining with anti-alpha-smooth muscle actin antibody was more intense in the deep layer than in the subendothelium. These findings suggest that the modulation of endothelin-A receptor gene expression in smooth muscle cells differs between the intima and media. Its regulated expression in intimal smooth muscle cells might affect the proliferative activity of these cells in patients with hypertension.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. Asai, T. Ohkubo, T. Katsuya, J. Higaki, Y. Fu, M. Fukuda, A. Hozawa, M. Matsubara, H. Kitaoka, I. Tsuji, et al. Endothelin-1 Gene Variant Associates With Blood Pressure in Obese Japanese Subjects: The Ohasama Study Hypertension, December 1, 2001; 38(6): 1321 - 1324. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Gobel, C. Ihling, J. Dentz, H. E. Schaefer, A. M. Zeiher, and G. Fraedrich Increased tissue endothelin-1-like immunoreactivity in the internal mammary artery of patients with diabetes or hypercholesterolemia modulates the graft flow in the peri-operative period Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., October 1, 1999; 14(4): 367 - 372. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Tiret, O. Poirier, V. Hallet, T. A. McDonagh, C. Morrison, J. J. V. McMurray, H. J. Dargie, D. Arveiler, J.-B. Ruidavets, G. Luc, et al. The Lys198Asn Polymorphism in the Endothelin-1 Gene Is Associated With Blood Pressure in Overweight People Hypertension, May 1, 1999; 33(5): 1169 - 1174. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. R. Bacon, N. R.B. Cary, and A. P. Davenport Endothelin Peptide and Receptors in Human Atherosclerotic Coronary Artery and Aorta Circ. Res., October 1, 1996; 79(4): 794 - 801. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				K. Hasegawa, H. Fujiwara, M. Koshiji, T. Inada, S. Ohtani, K. Doyama, M. Tanaka, A. Matsumori, T. Fujiwara, G. Shirakami, et al. Endothelin-1 and Its Receptor in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Hypertension, February 1, 1996; 27(2): 259 - 264. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				E. L. Schiffrin Endothelin: Potential Role in Hypertension and Vascular Hypertrophy Hypertension, June 1, 1995; 25(6): 1135 - 1143. [Abstract] [Full Text]