(Hypertension. 2001;37:371.)
© 2001 American Heart Association, Inc.
Scientific Contributions |
From the Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville.
Correspondence to Dr Sara M. Galli, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Florida, Box 100274, 1600 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32610. E-mail smgalli{at}phys.med.ufl.edu
| Abstract |
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Key Words: rats renin-angiotensin system brain hypertension, 2K1C antisense
| Introduction |
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To test this hypothesis, we used antisense (AS) oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs), which we previously designed to inhibit components of the brain RAS, including AGT mRNA and Ang II type 1a receptor (AT1R) mRNA.13 14 15 AS-ODN has some advantages over drugs: the gene-based design is more specific than a pharmacological antagonist, and the AS-ODN can be delivered in vivo and can produce prolonged effects rather than the transient effects of currently used drugs. These AS-ODNs produce a significant decrease in BP for 3 to 7 days with a single injection.13 14 15 16 Morishita et al10 did not find an increase in the brain RAS at 16 weeks, but this may not have been long enough after clipping. In the present study, we investigate the role of brain RAS on BP regulation in chronic 2K1C rats at 6 and 10 months after clipping. To test the hypothesis, the rats received intracerebroventricular injections of AS-ODN to AGT or AT1R mRNA. We also examined the activity of RAS by measuring Ang II levels in the brain tissue and plasma.
| Methods |
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Procedure for AS-ODNs to AGT mRNA
To investigate the effects of AS-ODNs to AGT mRNA,
thirteen 2K1C rats at 6 months after clipping were divided into 3
groups. An injection cannula (30 gauge), which was connected to a
10-µL Hamilton syringe by a 20-cm piece of PE-10 tubing, was inserted
into the lateral ventricle, and AS (50 µg/5 µL, n=5) or sense (50
µg/5 µL, n=5) ODNs to AGT mRNA were injected for 1 minute. Three
rats were injected with saline (5 µL) by the same procedure. After 24
hours, we measured the SBP by the tail-cuff method. A blood sample was
collected from the tail vein in 50 µL of 0.5 mol/L EDTA and 2.5 µL
o-phenanthroline and
centrifuged to collect plasma. Then the rats were deeply
anesthetized, the brain was removed from the skull, and the
hypothalamus and brain stem were separated. Ang II levels in plasma,
hypothalamus, and brain stem were measured by radioimmunoassay. Plasma
catecholamine concentrations were determined by
high-performance liquid
chromatography.
Procedure for AS-ODNs to
AT1R mRNA
We injected AS-ODNs to AT1R
mRNA (250 µg/kg per 5 µL, n=6) or inverted ODNs (250 µg/kg per 5
µL, n=5) into the cerebral ventricle of the 2K1C rats 10 months after
clipping. SBPs were measured by the tail-cuff method after 14 days.
Fourteen days after
intracerebroventricular injection of
ODN, when SBP returned to the baseline, we injected
AS-ODN-AT1R (250 or 500 µg/kg per 250 µL,
n=5) intravenously through the tongue
vein.
Antisense ODNs
AS, sense, or inverted ODNs were synthesized as
18-mers targeted to bases -5 to +13 of AGT mRNA and 15-mers to bases
+63 to +77 of AT1R
mRNA.13 All the ODNs were
phosphorothioated. The ODNs were dissolved in artificial cerebrospinal
fluid (mmol/L: NaCl 106, KCl 3, MgCl2 1.3,
NaHCO3 25.9, CaCl2 2, and
glucose 10, pH 7.4) or saline for
intracerebroventricular or
intravenous injection, respectively, and stored at
-20°C until use.
Ang II Assay
Plasma was frozen at -70°C until extraction with
methanol on reversed-phase phenylsilylsilica extraction cartridges
(Alpco; approximate recovery, 90%). Samples were analyzed by
double-antibody Ang II radioimmunoassay (RK-A22, Alpco). The assay is
sensitive to 0.7 pg/mL (0.7 pmol/L). Ang II levels were determined by a
-counter (Beckman DP 550).
Statistical Analysis
Data are expressed as mean±SEM. Statistical
analysis was performed by 1-way ANOVA, followed by the Fisher
least significant difference method, with the use of Statview SE. A
value of P<0.05 was viewed as
statistically significant.
| Results |
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Effects of AS-ODNs to
AT1R mRNA
The baseline SBP was similar between the AS-treated and
inverted ODNtreated groups (168±7 and 160±8 mm Hg,
respectively). The time course of SBP after
intracerebroventricular injection of
ODN is shown
Figure 3A. From 1 to 3 days after injection, SBP in the
AS-ODNtreated group was significantly
(P<0.05) lower than the
baseline value. The decrease in SBP was also significant compared with
the inverted ODNtreated group. Inverted ODN did not change SBP in the
observation period. In contrast to the
intracerebroventricular route,
intravenous injection of AS-ODN-AT1R
did not affect SBP even at the higher dose (500 µg/kg)
(Figure 3B).
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| Discussion |
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Previously, it has been reported that in 2K1C rats, brain AGT mRNA is not different from that in normotensive rats.3 10 However, that was up to 4 months after clipping the renal artery. The present study shows significantly higher Ang II levels in the hypothalamus at 6 to 10 months after clipping. The hypothalamic Ang II level was significantly increased in 2K1C hypertensive rats compared with age-matched control rats, and this result is consistent with 1 other report.17 The levels of Ang II in the brain stem were also elevated in the chronic 2K1C rats, but only in the hypothalamus was the AS-ODN effective in reducing Ang II. Thus, the site of hypotensive action of AS-ODN appears to be the hypothalamus. Microinjection of AS-ODN-AT1R into the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN) decreased the BP in Ren-2d gene transgenic rats.18 Injection of AS-ODN-AGT into the PVN of SHR attenuates vasopressin and catecholamine release.19 We have previously shown that the fluorescein isothiocyanatelabeled AS-ODN was taken up into the tissue around the third or lateral ventricle by intracerebroventricular injection15 and that AS-ODN-AT1R decreased brain angiotensin receptors by use of membrane binding and autoradiographic analysis.20 Other nuclei of the brain such as the lateral parabrachial nucleus21 and the area postrema22 have been reported to be important in Ang IIinduced hypertensive rats. Therefore, the brain stem as a site of action cannot be ruled out because the AS-ODN injected in the cerebral ventricle may not have reached brain stem sites in sufficient amounts.
Martin and Haywood23 have reported that stimulation of the PVN increases BP concomitant with an increase in plasma catecholamines, indicating activation of the sympathetic nervous system. The hypertension induced by a low dose of Ang II, which does not affect the plasma Ang II, is analogous to the chronic phase of renovascular hypertension. The centrally acting sympatholytic drug clonidine reverses the development of low-dose Ang IIinduced hypertension.24 In the present study, AS-ODN-AGT decreased plasma epinephrine. Therefore, we propose that the mechanism of maintenance of high BP in chronic 2K1C hypertension involves high Ang II in the hypothalamus activating the PVN to increase sympathetic outflow, as shown by an elevation of circulating catecholamines.
The brain RAS may also be involved in the early stages of 2K1C hypertension, inasmuch as intracerebroventricular injection of Ang II antagonists such as saralasin can reduce BP.25 26 27 28 However, Sweet el al28 have reported that intracerebroventricular injection of a renin inhibitor or ACE inhibitor in 2K1C rats does not result in any change in SBP. This may indicate that an alternate pathway of Ang II synthesis was in action. AS-ODN-AGT decreased the elevated hypothalamic Ang II level in the present study. We speculate that the Ang II in the brain might be produced from AGT directly.29 The AS-ODN approach provides a specific and long-acting reduction in the brain RAS synthesis. A single injection of AS-ODN-AT1R reduced SBP for 3 days in the present study. The time course of the reduction of SBP seems to be characteristic of AS-ODN action and is similar to that which we previously reported in SHR.15 The largest reduction of BP was observed on the second day after injection in chronic 2K1C hypertensive rats and in SHR.15 From these and other studies, the inhibitory effects of AS-ODN take 24 hours to show a reduction of BP by inhibition of AT1R or AGT protein synthesis. Compared with a single dose of current pharmacological agents, the onset of the action of AS-ODN is slower, but the effect lasts much longer.
We showed that an intravenous injection of AS-ODN-AT1R in the same dose that was given intracerebroventricularly did not decrease SBP. We previously reported that the peripheral injection of liposome-encapsulated AS-ODN-AGT reduced BP in SHR.30 A liposome encapsulation increases uptake and decreases degradation of ODN.31 However, we did not use liposomes in the brain, because we have found that they are toxic in the central nervous system. Therefore, because the intracerebroventricular injection of AS-ODN was without liposomes, we did not use AS-ODN with liposomes for the control intravenous injection. This did not preclude the AS-ODN from having an effect, inasmuch as peripheral injection of AS-ODN-AT1R decreased SBP in cold-induced hypertension without liposome encapsulation.32 Thus, when the peripheral RAS is activated, as in cold-induced hypertension, AS-ODN inhibition of RAS can reduce BP. The dose of injection in a previous study32 was similar to that of the lower dose in the present study. Because we could not observe a reduction of BP in the chronic 2K1C rat with an intravenous injection of AS-ODN even at the higher dose, we conclude that peripheral RAS does not have an important role in the maintenance of BP in the chronic phase of renovascular hypertension.
We studied the chronic phase in 2K1C hypertensive rats because human patients presenting with renovascular hypertension have generally had the disease for a long time. Although there is no direct evidence that the brain RAS contributes to the maintenance of high BP in human renovascular hypertension, an overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system is observed,33 and centrally acting drugs such as clonidine have been shown to reduce BP in chronic unilateral renal artery stenosis.34 Therefore, the results are relevant to understanding the mechanisms of chronic renovascular hypertension, and we conclude that the brain RAS plays a significant role by elevating sympathetic outflow from the brain. The results also point to a therapy strategy that could be developed to treat this form of hypertension.
| Acknowledgments |
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Received October 25, 2000; first decision December 11, 2000; accepted December 19, 2000.
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