Does heparin inhibit renin activity?

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (9) ◽  
pp. 1360-1363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masato Matsunaga ◽  
Yoko Yamanaka ◽  
Noriko Nagano ◽  
Yuki Iwasaki ◽  
Yumi Saito ◽  
...  

Although heparin was reported in the 1960s to inhibit renin activity, this has not always been confirmed by other investigators. Hence, we re-examined whether heparin really inhibits renin or not. Renin activities were determined by radioimmunoassay of angiotensin I generated at pH 7.4. (i) No significant difference was found between the two kinds of plasma samples obtained with heparin and with EDTA as anticoagulant, in ARC (renin activity with addition of sheep renin substrate), TRC (ARC after activation of inactive renin by trypsin), or PRA (plasma renin activity without additional substrate), (ii) Even in higher concentrations of heparin up to 500 U/mL, neither PRA, ARC, nor TRC of plasma was affected significantly. (iii) Heparin, in concentrations up to 500 U/mL, exerted no significant effect on TRC of the media of human vascular smooth muscle cell culture. In conclusion, heparin does not exert any significant inhibitory effect on human renin nor does it affect activation of inactive renin by trypsin in the range of concentration of practical use, under the conditions employed in this study.Key words: plasma renin, tissue renin, inactive renin, vascular smooth muscle cell, trypsin.


2014 ◽  
Vol 307 (4) ◽  
pp. H533-H541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Marie Thompson ◽  
Robert Wagner ◽  
Eva M. Rzucidlo

Loss of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) function is a hallmark of vascular disease. VSMCs become increasingly dysregulated, apoptotic, and senescent as we age. Sirtuin 1 (SirT1) is a deactylase that regulates substrates associated with stress mitigation, metabolism, and aging. Our aim was to examine the role of SirT1 in vascular aging and the function this protein plays in the context of cellular response to stress and senescence. We compared endogenous SirT1 expression in young and old human donors. Human VSMC (HuVSMC) from donors ranging in age from 12 to 88 ( n = 14) were isolated and cultured. In cultured HuVSMC the levels of endogenous SirT1 were examined by Western blot analysis. We found that endogenous SirT1 protein expression inversely correlated with donor age. Additionally, we demonstrated that age-related loss of SirT1 correlated in functional deficits, diminished stress response, reduced capacity for migration, and proliferation and increased senescence. Manipulation of SirT1 levels in young cells confirmed the role of SirT1 in cellular migration and proliferation capability. Furthermore, we demonstrated that age-related loss of SirT1 was associated with the induction of VSMC senescence. With correlation to symptomatic disease, we demonstrated a significant difference in SirT1 levels from HuVSMC isolated from aged arteries that were occluded with atherosclerotic lesions ( n = 7), compared with patent sections of the same artery. Having demonstrated that endogenous SirT1 is lost with age, which correlates with a loss of capacity for vascular repair, our data explain one of the molecular changes that occurs in the aged vasculature.



1990 ◽  
Vol 63 (02) ◽  
pp. 291-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herm-Jan M Brinkman ◽  
Marijke F van Buul-Worteiboer ◽  
Jan A van Mourik

SummaryWe observed that the growth of human umbilical arterysmooth muscle cells was inhibited by the phospholipase A2 inhibitors p-bromophenacylbromide and mepacrine. Thesefindings suggest that fatty acid metabolism might be integrated in the control mechanism of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. To identify eicosanoids possibly involved in this process, we studied both the metabolism of arachidonic acid of these cells in more detail and the effect of certain arachidonic acid metabolites on smooth muscle cells growth. We found no evidence for the conversion of arachidonic acid via the lipoxygenase pathway. In contrast, arachidonic acid was rapidly converted via the cyclooxy-genase pathway. The following metabolites were identified: prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α (6-k-PGF1α), prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), 12-hydroxyheptadecatrienoic acid (12-HHT) and 11-hydroxyeicosatetetraenoic acid (11-HETE). PGE2 was the major metabolite detected. Arachidonic acid metabolites were only found in the culture medium, not in the cell. After synthesis, 11-HETE was cleared from the culture medium. We have previously reported that PGE2 inhibits the serum-induced [3H]-thymidine incorporation of growth-arrested human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells. Here we show that also 11-HETEexerts this inhibitory property. Thus, our data suggeststhat human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells convert arachidonic acid only via the cyclooxygenase pathway. Certain metabolites produced by this pathway, including PGE2 and 11-HETE, may inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation.





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