This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Data Supplement All Versions of this Article: 43/2/263    most recent 01.HYP.0000113627.08110.6fv1 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 Jinno, T. Articles by Horiuchi, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Jinno, T. Articles by Horiuchi, M. Related Collections ACE/Angiotension receptors

(Hypertension. 2004;43:263.)
© 2004 American Heart Association, Inc.

Scientific Contributions

Calcium Channel Blocker Azelnidipine Enhances Vascular Protective Effects of AT₁ Receptor Blocker Olmesartan

Toyohisa Jinno; Masaru Iwai; Zhen Li; Jian-Mei Li; Hong-Wei Liu; Tai-Xing Cui; Hiromi Rakugi; Toshio Ogihara; Masatsugu Horiuchi

From Department of Medical Biochemistry (T.J., M.I., Z.L., J.-M.L., H.-W.L., T.-X.C., M.H.), Ehime University School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan, and Department of Geriatric Medicine (H.R., T.O.), Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka Japan.

Correspondence to Dr Masatsugu Horiuchi, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu, Onsen-gun, Ehime 791-0295, Japan. E-mail horiuchi{at}m.ehime-u.ac.jp

The present studies were undertaken to investigate the potential effect of a calcium channel blocker (CCB) to enhance the inhibitory effect of an angiotensin (Ang) II type 1 (AT₁) receptor blocker (ARB) on vascular injury and the cellular mechanism of the effect of CCB on vascular remodeling. In polyethylene cuff-induced vascular injury of the mouse femoral artery, proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and neointimal formation associated with activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and tyrosine-phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)1 and STAT3, inflammatory response assessed by monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and tumor necrosis factor- expression, as well as oxidative stress such as expression of NADH/NADPH oxidase p22^phox subunit and superoxide production, were less in AT_1a receptor null mice. Administration of nonhypotensive doses of a CCB, azelnidipine (0.5 or 1 mg/kg per day) attenuated these parameters in wild-type and AT₁a receptor null mice. Coadministration of lower doses of an ARB, olmesartan (0.5 mg/kg per day), and azelnidipine (0.1 mg/kg per day), which did not affect vascular remodeling, significantly inhibited these parameters in wild-type mice. Moreover, the effective dose of azelnidipine (1 mg/kg per day) exaggerated the inhibitory action of olmesartan at effective doses of 1 or 3 mg/kg per day on VSMC proliferation in the injured arteries. These results suggest that azelnidipine could inhibit vascular injury at least partly independent of the inhibition of AT₁ receptor activation and that azelnidipine could exaggerate the vascular protective effects of olmesartan, suggesting clinical possibility that the combination of CCB and ARB could be more effective in the treatment of vascular diseases.

Key Words: angiotensin • calcium channel • oxidative stress • vascular remodeling • inflammation

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A.-i. Shigenaga, K. Tamura, H. Wakui, S.-i. Masuda, K. Azuma, Y. Tsurumi-Ikeya, M. Ozawa, M. Mogi, M. Matsuda, K. Uchino, et al. Effect of Olmesartan on Tissue Expression Balance Between Angiotensin II Receptor and Its Inhibitory Binding Molecule Hypertension, October 1, 2008; 52(4): 672 - 678. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Hagita, M. Osaka, K. Shimokado, and M. Yoshida Oxidative Stress in Mononuclear Cells Plays a Dominant Role in Their Adhesion to Mouse Femoral Artery After Injury Hypertension, March 1, 2008; 51(3): 797 - 802. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Iwai, H.-S. Li, R. Chen, T. Shiuchi, L. Wu, L.-J. Min, J.-M. Li, M. Tsuda, J. Suzuki, Y. Tomono, et al. Calcium Channel Blocker Azelnidipine Reduces Glucose Intolerance in Diabetic Mice via Different Mechanism Than Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Olmesartan J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., December 1, 2006; 319(3): 1081 - 1087. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Oshita, M. Iwai, R. Chen, A. Ide, M. Okumura, S. Fukunaga, T. Yoshii, M. Mogi, J. Higaki, and M. Horiuchi Attenuation of Inflammatory Vascular Remodeling by Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor-Associated Protein Hypertension, October 1, 2006; 48(4): 671 - 676. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Okumura, M. Iwai, A. Ide, M. Mogi, M. Ito, and M. Horiuchi Sex Difference in Vascular Injury and the Vasoprotective Effect of Valsartan Are Related to Differential AT2 Receptor Expression Hypertension, September 1, 2005; 46(3): 577 - 583. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-M. Li, M. Iwai, T.-X. Cui, L.-J. Min, M. Tsuda, J. Iwanami, J. Suzuki, M. Mogi, and M. Horiuchi Effect of Azelnidipine on Angiotensin II-Mediated Growth-Promoting Signaling in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Mol. Pharmacol., May 1, 2005; 67(5): 1666 - 1673. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]