Angiotensin II induces apoptosis in human and rat alveolar epithelial cells

1999 ◽  
Vol 276 (5) ◽  
pp. L885-L889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rongqi Wang ◽  
Alex Zagariya ◽  
Olivia Ibarra-Sunga ◽  
Claudia Gidea ◽  
Edmund Ang ◽  
...  

Recent work from this laboratory demonstrated potent inhibition of apoptosis in human alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) by the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor captopril [B. D. Uhal, C. Gidea, R. Bargout, A. Bifero, O. Ibarra-Sunga, M. Papp, K. Flynn, and G. Filippatos. Am. J. Physiol. 275 ( Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 19): L1013–L1017, 1998]. On this basis, we hypothesized that apoptosis in this cell type might be induced by angiotensin II (ANG II) through its interaction with the ANG II receptor. Purified ANG II induced dose-dependent apoptosis in both the human AEC-derived A549 cell line and in primary type II pneumocytes isolated from adult Wistar rats as detected by nuclear and chromatin morphology, caspase-3 activity, and increased binding of annexin V. Apoptosis also was induced in primary rat AECs by purified angiotensinogen. The nonselective ANG II-receptor antagonist saralasin completely abrogated both ANG II- and angiotensinogen-induced apoptosis at a concentration of 50 μg/ml. With RT-PCR, both cell types expressed the ANG II-receptor subtypes 1 and 2 and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). The nonthiol ACE inhibitor lisinopril blocked apoptosis induced by angiotensinogen, but not apoptosis induced by purified ANG II. These data demonstrate the presence of a functional ANG II-dependent pathway for apoptosis in human and rat AECs and suggest a role for the ANG II receptor and ACE in the induction of AEC apoptosis in vivo.

2000 ◽  
Vol 279 (1) ◽  
pp. L143-L151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rongqi Wang ◽  
Olivia Ibarra-Sunga ◽  
Luba Verlinski ◽  
Ruth Pick ◽  
Bruce D. Uhal

Angiotensin-converting enzyme is involved in apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells (Wang R, Zagariya A, Ang E, Ibarra-Sunga O, and Uhal BD. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 277: L1245–L1250, 1999). This study tested the ability of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor captopril or the caspase inhibitor Z-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone (ZVAD-fmk) to block alveolar epithelial cell apoptosis and lung fibrosis in vivo in response to bleomycin (Bleo). Male Wistar rats received 8 U/kg of Bleo (bleomycin sulfate) or vehicle intratracheally. Subgroups of Bleo-treated rats received captopril, ZVAD-fmk, or vehicle alone. Lung collagen was assessed by picrosirius red or hydroxyproline assay at 1, 7, and 14 days post-Bleo, and apoptosis was detected by in situ end labeling (ISEL). Bleo increased alveolar septal and peribronchial collagen by 100 and 133%, respectively (both P < 0.01), by day 14 but not earlier. In contrast, ISEL was increased in alveolar and airway cells at all time points. Captopril or ZVAD-fmk inhibited collagen accumulation by 91 and 85%, respectively ( P < 0.01). Both agents also inhibited ISEL in alveoli by 99 and 81% and in airways by 67 and 63%, respectively. These data suggest that the efficacy of captopril to inhibit experimental lung fibrogenesis is related to inhibition of apoptosis. They also demonstrate the antifibrotic potential of a caspase inhibitor.


1991 ◽  
Vol 37 (8) ◽  
pp. 1390-1393 ◽  
Author(s):  
T P Gorski ◽  
D J Campbell

Abstract For normal and above-normal concentrations of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE; EC 3.4.15.1) activity in plasma, results of a manual fluorometric method [with hippuryl-histidyl-leucine (HHL), 5 mmol/L, as substrate] correlated well with those of an automated spectrophotometric method [with 3-(2-furylacryloyl)-L-phenylalanyl-glycyl-glycine (FAPGG), 2 mmol/L, as substrate]. However, for patients receiving converting enzyme inhibitor (CEI) therapy, the spectrophotometric method showed much greater suppression of plasma ACE activity than did the fluorometric method. To determine which of the two methods provided a more reliable indication of ACE inhibition in vivo, we measured plasma ACE, angiotensin I (ANG I), and angiotensin II (ANG II) in patients receiving the CEI perindopril. During perindopril therapy, changes in the ratio of ANG II:ANG I, an index of ACE activity in vivo, showed a close agreement with changes in plasma ACE activity measured with FAPGG as substrate, but not with HHL as substrate. We conclude that measurement of ACE activity in vitro with FAPGG as substrate provides a reliable measure of changes in conversion of ANG I to ANG II in vivo during CEI therapy.


1989 ◽  
Vol 256 (6) ◽  
pp. H1609-H1614 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Nazarali ◽  
J. S. Gutkind ◽  
F. M. Correa ◽  
J. M. Saavedra

We studied brain angiotensin II (ANG II) receptors by quantitative autoradiography in adult normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) after treating the rats with the converting-enzyme inhibitor enalapril, 25 mg/kg, po daily for 14 days. Enalapril treatment decreased blood pressure in only SHR, inhibited plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme activity by 85%, and increased plasma ANG I concentration and renin activity in both WKY and SHR. In the untreated SHR animals, ANG II receptor concentrations were higher in the subfornical organ, the area postrema, the nucleus of the solitary tract, and the inferior olive when compared with the untreated WKY rats. Enalapril treatment produced a large decrease in only subfornical organ ANG II receptors of SHR. The selective reversal of the alteration in subfornical organ ANG II receptors in SHR may indicate a decreased central response to ANG II and may be related to the mode of action of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in this model.


2001 ◽  
Vol 281 (3) ◽  
pp. C1059-C1063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerrie A. Buhagiar ◽  
Peter S. Hansen ◽  
Nerida L. Bewick ◽  
Helge H. Rasmussen

A reduction in angiotensin II (ANG II) in vivo by treatment of rabbits with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril, increases Na+-K+ pump current ( I p) of cardiac myocytes. This increase is abolished by exposure of myocytes to ANG II in vitro. Because ANG II induces translocation of the ɛ-isoform of protein kinase C (PKCɛ), we examined whether this isozyme regulates the pump. We treated rabbits with captopril, isolated myocytes, and measured I p of myocytes voltage clamped with wide-tipped patch pipettes. I p of myocytes from captopril-treated rabbits was larger than I p of myocytes from controls. ANG II superfusion of myocytes from captopril-treated rabbits decreased I p to levels similar to controls. Inclusion of PKCɛ-specific blocking peptide in pipette solutions used to perfuse the intracellular compartment abolished the effect of ANG II. Inclusion of ψɛRACK, a PKCɛ-specific activating peptide, in pipette solutions had an effect on I p that was similar to that of ANG II. There was no additive effect of ANG II and ψɛRACK. We conclude that PKCɛ regulates the sarcolemmal Na+-K+ pump.


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