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(Hypertension. 1999;34:558-562.)
© 1999 American Heart Association, Inc.
Scientific Contributions |
From the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Calif.
Correspondence to N.D. Vaziri, MD, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, UCI Medical Center, 101 The City Drive, Orange, CA 92868. E-mail tabotten{at}uci.edu
| Abstract |
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Key Words: lead hypertension, lead-induced free radicals nitric oxide vitamins antioxidants lipids
| Introduction |
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The reduction in urinary NOx excretion, which is consistently found in this model,4 6 may be due to either diminished NO production and/or enhanced NO sequestration. With respect to the latter possibility, we recently demonstrated a marked increase in nitrotyrosine abundance in the plasma, kidney, heart, brain, and liver of rats with lead-induced hypertension.7 Because nitrotyrosine is a secondary by-product of interactions of NO, ROS, and tyrosine residues of proteins,8 9 10 its accumulation in the tissues of animals with lead-induced hypertension reflects ROS-mediated NO inactivation and sequestration in this model. A second possible mechanism for depressed urinary NOx excretion in this model is diminished NO generation. This can, in turn, be due to diminished L-arginine availability, quantitative NO synthase (NOS) deficiency, or NOS inhibition. This study was intended to determine the possible effect of long-term lead exposure on NOS protein expression and NOS activity in rats with lead-induced hypertension. We also explored the effect of lead on NOS activity in a cell-free preparation in vitro.
| Methods |
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Measurement of Blood Pressure
Conscious rats were placed in a restrainer on a heated pad and
allowed to rest inside the cage for 15 minutes before blood pressure
was measured. The procedure was performed in a climate-controlled room
with an ambient temperature of 70°F. Rat tails were placed inside a
tail cuff, and the cuff was inflated and released several times to
allow the animal to become conditioned to the procedure. A minimum of 4
consecutive blood pressure measurements were obtained with use of a rat
tail sphygmomanometer attached to a student oscillograph (Harvard
Apparatus) and averaged.11
In Vitro Effect of Lead on eNOS Activity
These experiments were conducted to discern the possible effect
of lead on eNOS enzymatic activity in a cell-free preparation. To this
end, endothelial cells were cultured and cellular
protein was extracted as previously described.12 Aliquots
of this eNOS-containing preparation were assayed for calcium-dependent
NOS activity in the presence of various concentrations of lead acetate
(0, 1, 10, 30, and 100 µg/L).
NOS Activity and Protein Assays
Frozen renal and aortic tissues were processed for these assays
as previously described.13 NOS activity of tissue
preparations was determined from the rate of conversion of
[3H] L-arginine to
[3H] L-citrulline as previously
described.13 eNOS and iNOS protein abundance were measured
by Western blot analysis with anti-eNOS, anti-Mac NOS-I
monoclonal antibodies (Transaction Laboratories) as previously
described.11
Tissue Lead Determination
Slices of renal cortex were dried at 70°C for 24 hours.
Samples were then weighed and processed for lead measurement by an
atomic absorption spectrometer (model 305 with graphite furnace,
Perkin-Elmer).
Measurement of Total Nitrite and Nitrate
Total nitrite and nitrate (ie, NOx) was measured with a Sievers
Instruments NO analyzer (model 270B, NOATM) as previously
described.14
Data Presentation and Analysis
Data are presented as mean±SEM. ANOVA, a multiple-range
test, and regression analysis were used as appropriate.
P<0.05 was considered significant.
| Results |
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Longitudinal measurements of eNOS and iNOS revealed a significant rise in the abundance of these NOS isotypes in the aorta and kidney of lead-treated animals beginning 4 to 8 weeks after lead exposure (Figures 2 and 3). The rise in aorta eNOS protein mass was accompanied by an increase in calcium-dependent NOS activity in the Pb group by 62%±13%, 62%±7%, and 91%±5% relative to values in the CTL group at weeks 4, 8, and 12, respectively (P<0.05 for all comparisons). Likewise, the rise in iNOS protein abundance in the aorta was coupled with significant elevations of calcium-independent NOS activity by 53%±15%, 60%±7%, and 86%±6% of control values at weeks 4, 8, and 12, respectively (P<0.05 for all comparisons).
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Effects of High-Dose Vitamin E
Administration of high-dose vitamin E significantly ameliorated
but did not completely abrogate lead-induced hypertension in the Pb+E
group. In addition, vitamin E supplementation mitigated a lead-induced
rise in plasma MDA concentration and prevented the fall in urinary NOx
excretion (Table) and the rise in eNOS and iNOS protein
abundance in the aorta (Figure 4).
However, the change in kidney tissue eNOS and iNOS protein abundance
with vitamin E supplementation did not reach statistical significance
(Figure 5). No significant difference was
found in kidney tissue lead concentration between the Pb and Pb+E
groups (8.2±0.88 versus 10.8±1.00 µg/g dry tissue, respectively;
P=NS). Interestingly, vitamin E supplementation had no
effect on systolic blood pressure in normal control animals
(120±4 mm Hg in the CTL group versus 119±3 mm Hg in the
CTL+E group; P=NS). Likewise, vitamin E did not alter plasma
MDA concentration (0.96±0.15 µmol/L in the CTL group and
1.0±0.14 µmol/L in the CTL+E group; P=NS) and had no
effect on NOS isotype expression of either aortic or renal tissues in
normal animals (data not shown).
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Effect of Lead on NOS Activity In Vitro
These experiments were conducted to discern the possible effect of
lead on NOS enzymatic activity. To this end, aliquots of an
endothelial cell protein preparation were incubated in
the presence of either vehicle or lead acetate at 1-, 10-, 30-, and
100-µg/dL concentrations before NOS activity was measured. At
concentrations of 10, 30, and 100 µg/dL, lead lowered NOS activity to
72%±3%, 71%±4%, and 75%±4% of control values, respectively
(P<0.05 for all comparisons). However, at 1 µg/dL, lead
acetate had no detectable effect on NOS activity.
| Discussion |
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The supposition that hypertension and depressed urinary NOx excretion in the face of increased NOS expression is, at least in part, due to ROS-mediated NO inactivation and sequestration is supported by the results of vitamin E therapy. Concomitant administration of vitamin E abrogated elevation of MDA and resulted in a rise in urinary NOx excretion and a fall in vascular eNOS and iNOS expression. Together, these findings point to enhanced ROS-mediated NO inactivation and sequestration as contributory factors in the pathogenesis of hypertension and depressed urinary NOx excretion in lead-treated animals. Accordingly, antioxidant therapy with high-dose vitamin E mitigated excess ROS activity and, hence, NO inactivation and sequestration. This, in turn, increased NO availability, which ameliorated hypertension, and decreased NO sequestration, which increased urinary NOx excretion. This supposition is supported by results of our earlier studies, which demonstrated marked overabundance of nitrotyrosine in the plasma, kidney, heart, liver, and brain of rats with lead-induced hypertension and its normalization by high-dose vitamin E supplementation.
In contrast to the effect seen in lead-exposed animals, vitamin E supplementation had no effect on blood pressure, plasma MDA concentration, or expression of NOS isotypes in control animals. Thus, in the absence of oxidative stress, antioxidant therapy does not significantly influence this process.
Previous studies have shown inhibition of NOS activity by lead in
vitro.15 These observations were confirmed by results of
the present study, which demonstrated significant inhibition of NOS
activity at lead acetate concentrations
10 µg/dL. It should be
noted that according to our previous studies, plasma lead concentration
in this model is 10 µg/dL and, as such, is sufficient to partially
inhibit NOS activity in vivo. This observation might appear to be at
variance with the results of NOS activity measurements obtained in the
aorta of lead-treated rats, which demonstrate increased rather than
decreased activity. However, the volume of tissue protein preparation
used in this assay is 1/25 of that of the total reaction mixture. This
degree of dilution is more than sufficient to obviate the
inhibitory action of the original tissue lead content
present in vivo.
The precise mechanism responsible for upregulation of renal and vascular eNOS and iNOS expression in animals with lead-induced hypertension is unclear. Increased blood pressure, shear stress, and blood flow have been shown to upregulate NOS expression.14 16 17 18 In addition, ROS-mediated inactivation of NO may have contributed to upregulation of NOS by diminishing the negative feedback exerted by NO on NOS expression. In confirmation of the latter supposition, we recently demonstrated downregulation of eNOS protein expression by addition of NO donors and upregulation of eNOS expression by NO scavengers in cultured endothelial cells.19 The rats used in the present study consumed drinking water that contained 100 ppm lead acetate. We wish to point out that lower levels of lead exposure can also produce hypertension. The available data do not allow definitive conclusions about the possible effects of exposure to lower levels of lead on the study parameters. Additional studies are necessary to address this issue.
In summary, the lead-treated animals exhibited a significant rise in arterial blood pressure, a marked rise in plasma MDA concentration, and a fall in urinary NOx excretion. This was associated with a paradoxical upregulation of vascular and renal tissue eNOS and iNOS expression. High-dose vitamin E supplementation ameliorated hypertension and normalized plasma MDA concentration, urinary NOx excretion, and aortic, but not renal, tissue eNOS and iNOS expression. These findings point to the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of lead-induced hypertension, reduced urinary NOx excretion, and compensatory upregulation of renal and vascular NOS expression in this model.
Received December 18, 1998; first decision February 8, 1999; accepted June 7, 1999.
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