doi: 10.1161/hy0102.100788
(Hypertension. 2002;39:75.)
© 2002 American Heart Association, Inc.
Scientific Contributions |
Stimulation of Cardiac Apoptosis in Essential Hypertension
Potential Role of Angiotensin II
From the Division of Cardiovascular Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra (A.G., B.L., S.R., J.D., M.A.F.), Pamplona; Division of Cardiology, Ntra Sra de Aránzazu Hospital (R.Q.), San Sebastian; Division of Hemodynamics, Guipuzcoa Polyclinic (M.L.), San Sebastián; and the Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Clinic, University of Navarra (J.D.), Pamplona, Spain.
Correspondence to Maria Antonia Fortuño, División de Fisiopatología Cardiovascular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Navarra, C/Irunlarrea s/n, 31080 Pamplona, Spain. E-mail fortuto{at}unav.es
We investigated whether cardiac apoptosis is stimulated in the heart of hypertensive patients and whether angiotensin II plays a role in such alteration. The study was performed in 28 patients with essential hypertension and no evidence of either ischemic cardiomyopathy or heart failure. After randomization, 14 patients were assigned to losartan and 14 patients to amlodipine treatment. At baseline and after 12 months, right septal endomyocardial biopsies were performed, and the number of apoptotic nuclei was assessed by DNA end-labeling (TUNEL). In addition, immunostaining for the active form of caspase-3 was also performed to assess apoptosis. Compared with normotensive autopsied hearts, both cardiomyocyte and noncardiomyocyte apoptosis were increased (P<0.001) in hypertensive hearts. Time-course changes in blood pressure during treatment were similar in the 2 groups of patients. In losartan-treated patients, both cardiomyocyte and noncardiomyocyte apoptosis decreased (P<0.05). Neither cardiomyocyte nor noncardiomyocyte apoptosis changed significantly in amlodipine-treated patients. These findings indicate that apoptosis is abnormally stimulated in the heart of patients with essential hypertension. Our data also suggest that the ability of antihypertensive treatment to inhibit cardiac apoptosis is independent of its antihypertensive efficacy. We propose that angiotensin II may participate in the stimulation of cardiac apoptosis in essential hypertension.
Key Words: amlodipine • angiotensin II • apoptosis • heart • hypertension, essential • losartan
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  S. G. Haworth The cell and molecular biology of right ventricular dysfunction in pulmonary hypertension Eur. Heart J. Suppl., December 1, 2007; 9(suppl_H): H10 - H16. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Ravassa, A. Gonzalez, B. Lopez, J. Beaumont, R. Querejeta, M. Larman, and J. Diez Upregulation of myocardial Annexin A5 in hypertensive heart disease: association with systolic dysfunction Eur. Heart J., November 2, 2007; 28(22): 2785 - 2791. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. M. Kistler, P. Sanders, M. Dodic, S. J. Spence, C. S. Samuel, C. Zhao, J. A. Charles, G. A. Edwards, and J. M. Kalman Atrial electrical and structural abnormalities in an ovine model of chronic blood pressure elevation after prenatal corticosteroid exposure: implications for development of atrial fibrillation Eur. Heart J., December 2, 2006; 27(24): 3045 - 3056. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Malmberg, T. Vahasilta, A. Saraste, V. Kyto, J. Kiss, E. Kentala, M. Kallajoki, and T. Savunen Cardiomyocyte apoptosis and duration of aortic clamping in pig model of open heart surgery. Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., September 1, 2006; 30(3): 480 - 484. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S.-D. Lee, C.-H. Chu, E.-J. Huang, M.-C. Lu, J.-Y. Liu, C.-J. Liu, H.-H. Hsu, J. A. Lin, W.-W. Kuo, and C.-Y. Huang Roles of insulin-like growth factor II in cardiomyoblast apoptosis and in hypertensive rat heart with abdominal aorta ligation. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, August 1, 2006; 291(2): E306 - E314. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. J. Goikoetxea, J. Beaumont, A. Gonzalez, B. Lopez, R. Querejeta, M. Larman, and J. Diez Altered cardiac expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-isoforms in patients with hypertensive heart disease Cardiovasc Res, March 1, 2006; 69(4): 899 - 907. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Mayorga, N. Bahi, M. Ballester, J. X. Comella, and D. Sanchis Bcl-2 Is a Key Factor for Cardiac Fibroblast Resistance to Programmed Cell Death J. Biol. Chem., August 13, 2004; 279(33): 34882 - 34889. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. D. Frohlich Left ventricular hypertrophy: a "factor of risk": Mass is reversible, but is the risk? J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., June 16, 2004; 43(12): 2216 - 2218. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Gonzalez, M. A Fortuno, R. Querejeta, S. Ravassa, B. Lopez, N. Lopez, and J. Diez Cardiomyocyte apoptosis in hypertensive cardiomyopathy Cardiovasc Res, September 1, 2003; 59(3): 549 - 562. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. A. Fortuno, A. Gonzalez, S. Ravassa, B. Lopez, and J. Diez Clinical implications of apoptosis in hypertensive heart disease Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, May 1, 2003; 284(5): H1495 - H1506. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Der Sarkissian, E.-L. Marchand, D. Duguay, P. Hamet, and D. deBlois Reversal of interstitial fibroblast hyperplasia via apoptosis in hypertensive rat heart with valsartan or enalapril Cardiovasc Res, March 1, 2003; 57(3): 775 - 783. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Suzuki, E. Bayna, E. Dalle Molle, and W. Y. W. Lew Nicotine inhibits cardiac apoptosis induced by lipopolysaccharide in rats J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., February 5, 2003; 41(3): 482 - 488. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|