Cytochrome P450 (CYP)-derived epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) have potent vasodilatory and diuretic feature, and therefore potentially hypotensive effect. No
in vivo
studies, however, were performed to support it. This study investigated the hypothesis via overexpressing CYP epoxygense genes in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Recombinant adeno-associated virus vector (rAAV) was utilized to mediate long-term transfection of CYP2J2 and CYP2C11 genes, respectively, in adult SHR, and animal systolic blood pressure (SBP) was monitored using arterial caudilis indirect manometric method. Results showed that at 2 months the urinary excretion of stable hydrolysis metabolic product of 14, 15-EE, 14–15-DHET increased by 11 and 8.7 folds in rAAV-2J2 and rAAV-2C11 groups, respectively, compared with AAV-GFP-treated rats. (2) SBP in 2J2- and 2C11-treated rats decreased from 175.0 ± 2.8mHg to 163.5 ± 5.8mmHg and 161.2 ± 6.1 mmHg, respectively, (
p
<0.01) at month 2, and it is 165.0 ± 4.7 mmHg and 173.0 ± 12.8 mmHg at month 6 after gene injection (~30mmHg and ~23mmHg lowerer than that in control animals, respectively,
p
<0.001). (3) Before the rats were sacrificed, cardiac function tests with Pressure-Volume System showed that maximum intracardiac pressure was 202.1 ± 30.0 & 209.1 ± 17.1mmHg in two gene-treated rats, respectively, significantly lower than control (241.2 ± 18.2mmHg,
p
<0.01) and cardiac output in treatment rats were significantly higher than control (p<0.05). (4) Interestingly, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) mRNA were up-regulated 6–14 folds respectively in myocardium of 2J2 and 2C11 groups; furthermore, C-type receptor mRNA of ANP was increased in heart, lung, kidney and aorta. (5) in cultured atrial cells (HLB2G5), exogenous EETs stimulated ANP production. In conclusions, for first time our data indicates overexpression of CYP2J2 or CYP2C11 could prevent development of hypertension in SHR, improve cardiac functions, which may involve up-regulating ANP expression and its receptors in target tissues, which suppresses collagen deposition and cardiovascular remodeling.
Natriuretic Peptide Receptor-C Attenuates Hypertension in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
