Effects of angiotensin II on the acrosome reaction in equine spermatozoa

Reproduction ◽  
2000 ◽  
pp. 135-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Sabeur ◽  
AT Vo ◽  
BA Ball

Angiotensin II is a hormone with a wide array of physiological effects that exerts its effect via interaction with two major subtypes of receptor. The results of this study show that angiotensin II (from 1 to 100 nmol l(-1)) initiates acrosomal exocytosis in equine spermatozoa that have undergone capacitation in vitro in a TALP-TEST (Tyrode's albumin lactate pyruvate; 188.7 mmol TES l(-1), 84.8 mmol Tris l(-1)) buffer with cAMP. The acrosome reaction and sperm viability were assessed with fluorescein isothiocyanate-Pisum sativum agglutinin (FITC-PSA) and Hoechst 33258, respectively. The initiation of the acrosome reaction by angiotensin II was strongly inhibited by losartan, a specific angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist. Although angiotensin II as well as progesterone both initiated the acrosome reaction in equine spermatozoa, there was no synergistic effect when both agonists were added simultaneously. Initiation of acrosomal exocytosis by angiotensin II was accompanied by a rapid and transient calcium influx that was assessed in capacitated spermatozoa loaded with Fura-2AM. In addition, the angiotensin II-mediated calcium influx was inhibited when spermatozoa were preincubated with losartan. Western blotting with an antibody against angiotensin II type 1 receptor detected a major sperm protein of 60 kDa. Indirect immunofluorescence of non-capacitated spermatozoa with the angiotensin II type 1 receptor antibody revealed labelling in the midpiece and tail. In capacitated spermatozoa, the angiotensin II type 1 receptor was localized mainly over the anterior region of the sperm head, the equatorial segment and occasionally on the postacrosomal region in addition to the sperm tail. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the ability of angiotensin II to stimulate the acrosome reaction in capacitated equine spermatozoa. This effect is mediated via the angiotensin II type 1 receptor and is accompanied by an increase in intracellular calcium.

1998 ◽  
Vol 275 (1) ◽  
pp. E87-E93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yael Gur ◽  
Haim Breitbart ◽  
Yehudit Lax ◽  
Sara Rubinstein ◽  
Nadav Zamir

Ejaculated mammalian spermatozoa must reside in the female genital tract for some time before gaining the ability to fertilize the egg. During this time, spermatozoa undergo some physiological changes that collectively are called capacitation. Capacitation of mammalian spermatozoa is a prerequisite for acrosome reaction, which is an exocytotic event occurring before fertilization. The specific biophysical and biochemical changes that accompany sperm capacitation and the agonists inducing acrosome reaction are not fully understood. Using SDS-gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting, we demonstrate the existence of a class of angiotensin receptors (AT1) in bovine spermatozoa. In capacitated sperm, we show that angiotensin II (ANG II) AT1 receptors are localized in the head and tail, whereas in noncapacitated cells the receptors are localized in the tail only. We find that ANG II markedly stimulates acrosomal exocytosis of capacitated bovine spermatozoa in vitro in a concentration range of 0.1–10 nM. No effect of ANG II was found in noncapacitated cells. The ability of ANG II to stimulate the acrosome reaction depends on the presence of calcium ions in the incubation medium. The ANG II-induced acrosome reaction was markedly inhibited by a selective AT1 receptor antagonist, losartan (DUP 753). PD-123319, a selective antagonist of the ANG II AT2 receptor, had no effect on the ANG II-induced acrosome reaction. Thus ANG II via activation of AT1 receptors may play a regulatory role in the induction of the acrosome reaction.


1994 ◽  
Vol 107 (10) ◽  
pp. 2941-2949
Author(s):  
K.L. King ◽  
M. Stewart ◽  
T.M. Roberts

Sperm of the nematode, Ascaris suum, are amoeboid cells that do not require actin or myosin to crawl over solid substrata. In these cells, the role usually played by actin has been taken over by major sperm protein (MSP), which assembles into filaments that pack the sperm pseudopod. These MSP filaments are organized into multi-filament arrays called fiber complexes that flow centripetally from the leading edge of the pseudopod to the cell body in a pattern that is intimately associated with motility. We have characterized structurally a hierarchy of helical assemblies formed by MSP. The basic unit of the MSP cytoskeleton is a filament formed by two subfilaments coiled around one another along right-handed helical tracks. In vitro, higher-order assemblies (macrofibers) are formed by MSP filaments that coil around one another in a left-handed helical sense. The multi-filament assemblies formed by MSP in vitro are strikingly similar to the fiber complexes that characterize the sperm cytoskeleton. Thus, self-association is an intrinsic property of MSP filaments that distinguishes these fibers from actin filaments. The results obtained with MSP help clarify the roles of different aspects of the actin cytoskeleton in the generation of locomotion and, in particular, emphasize the contributions made by vectorial assembly and filament bundling.


2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasios Lymperopoulos ◽  
Karlee Walklett ◽  
Samalia Dabul ◽  
Ashley Siryk ◽  
Emmanuel Sturchler ◽  
...  

Introduction: The scaffolding protein βarrestin1 (βarr1) by the angiotensin II (AngII) type 1 receptor (AT 1 R) mediates AngII-induced aldosterone production in vitro and physiologically in vivo, thereby exacerbating heart failure (HF) progression post-myocardial infarction (MI). Herein, we sought to investigate the relative potency of various AT 1 R antagonist drugs (sartans) at inhibiting βarr vs. G protein activation and hence aldosterone production in vitro and in vivo. We also investigated the alterations in plasma aldosterone levels conferred by these agents and their impact on cardiac function of post-MI rats. Methods: For the in vitro tests, transfected CHO and adrenocortical H295R cells were used. For in vivo studies, post-MI rats overexpressing βarr1 in their adrenals received 7-day-long treatments with the drugs of interest. Results: Among the sartans tested, candesartan and valsartan were the most potent βarr activation and βarr-mediated aldosterone production inhibitors in vitro, as well as the most “biased” antagonists towards βarr vs. G-protein inhibition. Conversely, losartan and irbesartan were the least potent βarr inhibitors and the least “biased” antagonists towards βarr inhibition. These in vitro findings were corroborated in vivo, since candesartan and valsartan, contrary to irbesartan, caused significant plasma aldosterone reductions in post-MI rats. Accordingly, cardiac ejection fraction (EF) and contractility were significantly augmented in candesartan- and valsartan-treated rats (EF: 41.1±1% and 40±1% respectively, vs. 35±0.3% for saline-treated), but further deteriorated in irbesartan-treated post-MI rats (EF: 32±1%, n=7 rats/group). Conclusions: These findings provide important insights that might aid pharmacotherapeutic decisions (i.e. individual agent selections) involving this commonly prescribed cardiovascular drug class (sartans).


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1872
Author(s):  
Martha Sahylí Ortega Pijeira ◽  
Paulo Sérgio Gonçalves Nunes ◽  
Sofia Nascimento dos Santos ◽  
Zhengxing Zhang ◽  
Arian Pérez Nario ◽  
...  

Losartan is widely used in clinics to treat cardiovascular related diseases by selectively blocking the angiotensin II type 1 receptors (AT1Rs), which regulate the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Therefore, monitoring the physiological and pathological biodistribution of AT1R using positron emission tomography (PET) might be a valuable tool to assess the functionality of RAS. Herein, we describe the synthesis and characterization of two novel losartan derivatives PET tracers, [18F]fluoroethyl-losartan ([18F]FEtLos) and [18F]ammoniomethyltrifluoroborate-losartan ([18F]AMBF3Los). [18F]FEtLos was radiolabeled by 18F-fluoroalkylation of losartan potassium using the prosthetic group 2-[18F]fluoroethyl tosylate; whereas [18F]AMBF3Los was prepared following an one-step 18F-19F isotopic exchange reaction, in an overall yield of 2.7 ± 0.9% and 11 ± 4%, respectively, with high radiochemical purity (>95%). Binding competition assays in AT1R-expressing membranes showed that AMBF3Los presented an almost equivalent binding affinity (Ki 7.9 nM) as the cold reference Losartan (Ki 1.5 nM), unlike FEtLos (Ki 2000 nM). In vitro and in vivo assays showed that [18F]AMBF3Los displayed a good binding affinity for AT1R-overexpressing CHO cells and was able to specifically bind to renal AT1R. Hence, our data demonstrate [18F]AMBF3Los as a new tool for PET imaging of AT1R with possible applications for the diagnosis of cardiovascular, inflammatory and cancer diseases.


Life Sciences ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 63 (19) ◽  
pp. PL289-PL295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takehiko Yamada ◽  
Masahiro Akishita ◽  
Matthew J. Pollman ◽  
Gary H. Gibbons ◽  
Victor J. Dzau ◽  
...  

2006 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 895-903 ◽  
Author(s):  
J R Puddefoot ◽  
U K I Udeozo ◽  
S Barker ◽  
G P Vinson

As breast cancer remains the most common cause of cancer death in women, there is a continuing need not only to further characterise the processes of cancer progression, but also to improve accuracy of prognostic markers. Breast epithelial cells express components of the renin angiotensin system and studies suggest that these may be altered in disease progression. In addition, altered integrin expression correlates with lymph node metastasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between angiotensin II (AII) and integrins in breast tissue and, in particular, their role in breast cancer cell metastasis. Using in vitro assays, AII (10−6 M)-treated MCF-7 and T47D breast cancer cells both show reduced adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins collagen-, fibronectin- and laminin-coated wells (P<0.001) and reduced invasion through collagen-, fibronectin- and laminin-coated membranes (P<0.05). This action was inhibited by co-treatment with the angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) antagonist losartan (10−5 M). The addition of the AT2R inhibitor PD123319 (10−5 M) to AII-treated cells had no significant effect. Semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR and western blotting revealed that cells treated with AII (10−6 M) expressed lower levels of both integrin α3 and β1. Using specific inhibitors, this was shown to occur through protein kinase C signalling. These data suggest that AII reduces cell adhesion and invasion through the type 1 receptor and that this effect may be due to reduced expression of integrins, and in particular α3 and β1.


2008 ◽  
Vol 295 (2) ◽  
pp. H835-H841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zsolt Bagi ◽  
Nora Erdei ◽  
Akos Koller

Previously, we found that high intraluminal pressure leads to production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and also upregulates several components of the renin-angiotensin system in the wall of small arteries. We hypothesized that acute exposure of arterioles to high intraluminal pressure in vitro via increasing ROS production enhances the functional availability of type 1 angiotensin II (Ang II) receptors (AT1 receptors), resulting in sustained constrictions. In arterioles (∼180 μm) isolated from rat skeletal muscle, Ang II elicited dose-dependent constrictions, which decreased significantly by the second application [maximum (max.): from 59% ± 4% to 26% ± 5% at 10−8 M; P < 0.05] in the presence of 80 mmHg of intraluminal pressure. In contrast, if the arterioles were exposed to high intraluminal pressure (160 mmHg for 30 min), Ang II-induced constrictions remained substantial on the second application (max.: 51% ± 3% at 10−8 M). In the presence of Tiron and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-catalase, known to reduce the level of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), second applications of Ang II evoked similarly reduced constrictions, even after high-pressure exposure (29% ± 4% at 10−8 M). Furthermore, when arterioles were exposed to H2O2 (for 30 min, 10−7 M, at normal 80 mmHg pressure), Ang II-induced constrictions remained substantial on second applications (59% ± 5% at 10−8 M). These findings suggest that high pressure, likely via inducing H2O2 production, increases the functional availability of AT1 receptors and thus enhances Ang II-induced arteriolar constrictions. We propose that in hypertension–regardless of etiology–high intraluminal pressure, via oxidative stress, enhances the functional availability of AT1 receptors augmenting Ang II-induced constrictions.


Reproduction ◽  
2002 ◽  
pp. 573-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Mahmood ◽  
O Djahanbakhch ◽  
DE Burleigh ◽  
OA O'Mahony ◽  
GP Vinson ◽  
...  

Angiotensin II type 1 receptors have been identified in Fallopian tube epithelia. Polarized confluent human Fallopian tube epithelial cell cultures were used under short-circuit conditions to study the actions of angiotensin II on electrogenic ion transport. The results demonstrate that angiotensin II increases baseline short-circuit current, implying a net transport of negatively charged ions from a basal to apical direction. This effect was inhibited by the selective angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist losartan. The effects of angiotensin II on short-circuit current were rapid in onset, brief in duration, and although less than those achieved with ATP, similar in amplitude to those described for other epithelia with angiotensin II. These findings reflect a significant retention of function for these cells in monolayer culture. Immunohistochemistry using the antibody 6313/G2, which is directed against a specific sequence in the extracellular domain of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor, confirmed that the receptor was retained in cultured cells. The results indicate that angiotensin II plays a role in regulating the composition of Fallopian tube secretions.


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