Published Online
on March 22, 2004

A more recent version of this article appeared on May 1, 2004

This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 43/5/1116    most recent 01.HYP.0000125143.73301.94v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted 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 Lavoie, J. L. Articles by Sigmund, C. D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lavoie, J. L. Articles by Sigmund, C. D. Related Collections Animal models of human disease Gene expression Genetically altered mice Autonomic, reflex, and neurohumoral control of circulation

Submitted on January 22, 2004
Revised on February 10, 2004

Adjacent Expression of Renin and Angiotensinogen in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla Using a Dual-Reporter Transgenic Model

Julie L. Lavoie; Martin D. Cassell; Kenneth W. Gross; and Curt D. Sigmund^*

From the Departments of Internal Medicine and Physiology and Biophysics (J.L.L., C.D.S.) and the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology (M.D.C.), University of Iowa, Iowa City; Roswell Park Cancer Institute (K.W.G.), Buffalo, NY.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: curt-sigmund{at}uiowa.edu.

Abstract--All components of the renin-angiotensin system are localized in the brain. However, because renin is present in very low concentrations, the mechanism by which angiotensin II is formed in the brain remains unclear. We previously reported the development of 2 transgenic mouse models using sensitive reporters, enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) and -galactosidase (-Gal), to examine the cellular localization of renin and angiotensinogen in the mouse brain. To determine whether renin and angiotensinogen are coexpressed or present in neighboring cells in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and other cardiovascular control regions of the brain, we produced and examined double-transgenic mice, which express eGFP driven by the renin promoter (REN-1c/eGFP) and -gal driven by the human angiotensinogen promoter (hAGT/-gal). Using these reporter transgenes as sensitive markers for renin and angiotensinogen expression, we conclude that both proteins are coexpressed in the parabrachial nucleus and central nucleus of the amygdala and are in adjacent cells in the RVLM, reticular formation, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, subfornical organ, and CA1-3 region. These data suggests that, in these areas, both renin and angiotensinogen are in close proximity providing the potential for the local formation of angiotensin I either intracellularly, when there is colocalization, or in the interstitium, when they are in juxtaposed cells.

Key words: renin-angiotensin system • angiotensin II

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Contrepas, J. Walker, A. Koulakoff, K. J. Franek, F. Qadri, C. Giaume, P. Corvol, C. E. Schwartz, and G. Nguyen A role of the (pro)renin receptor in neuronal cell differentiation Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, August 1, 2009; 297(2): R250 - R257. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. L. Grobe, D. Xu, and C. D. Sigmund An Intracellular Renin-Angiotensin System in Neurons: Fact, Hypothesis, or Fantasy Physiology, August 1, 2008; 23(4): 187 - 193. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. K. Becker, G. M. Etelvino, T. Walther, R. A. S. Santos, and M. J. Campagnole-Santos Immunofluorescence localization of the receptor Mas in cardiovascular-related areas of the rat brain Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, September 1, 2007; 293(3): H1416 - H1424. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Sakima, D. B. Averill, S. O. Kasper, L. Jackson, D. Ganten, C. M. Ferrario, P. E. Gallagher, and D. I. Diz Baroreceptor reflex regulation in anesthetized transgenic rats with low glia-derived angiotensinogen Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, March 1, 2007; 292(3): H1412 - H1419. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. E. Dickson and C. D. Sigmund Genetic Basis of Hypertension: Revisiting Angiotensinogen Hypertension, July 1, 2006; 48(1): 14 - 20. [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. M. Allen, J. K. Dosanjh, M. Erac, S. Dassanayake, R. D. Hannan, and W. G. Thomas Expression of Constitutively Active Angiotensin Receptors in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla Increases Blood Pressure Hypertension, June 1, 2006; 47(6): 1054 - 1061. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. Sheriff, M. A. P. Fontes, S. Killinger, J. Horiuchi, and R. A. L. Dampney Blockade of AT1 receptors in the rostral ventrolateral medulla increases sympathetic activity under hypoxic conditions Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, March 1, 2006; 290(3): R733 - R740. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. I. Diz Approaches to Establishing Angiotensin II as a Neurotransmitter Revisited Hypertension, March 1, 2006; 47(3): 334 - 336. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. L. Lavoie, X. Liu, R. A. Bianco, T. G. Beltz, A. K. Johnson, and C. D. Sigmund Evidence Supporting a Functional Role for Intracellular Renin in the Brain Hypertension, March 1, 2006; 47(3): 461 - 466. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Sherrod, D. R. Davis, X. Zhou, M. D. Cassell, and C. D. Sigmund Glial-specific ablation of angiotensinogen lowers arterial pressure in renin and angiotensinogen transgenic mice Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, December 1, 2005; 289(6): R1763 - R1769. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Sherrod, X. Liu, X. Zhang, and C. D. Sigmund Nuclear localization of angiotensinogen in astrocytes Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, February 1, 2005; 288(2): R539 - R546. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Sakai, M. W. Chapleau, S. Morimoto, M. D. Cassell, and C. D. Sigmund Differential modulation of baroreflex control of heart rate by neuron- vs. glia-derived angiotensin II Physiol Genomics, December 15, 2004; 20(1): 66 - 72. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]