Masahiro Akishita

Recent Progress in Angiotensin II Type 2 Receptor Research in the Cardiovascular System

Angiotensin II (Ang II) plays an important role in regulating cardiovascular hemodynamics and structure. Multiple lines of evidence have suggested the existence of Ang II receptor subtypes, and at least 2 distinct receptor subtypes have been defined on the basis of their differential pharmacological and biochemical properties and designated as type 1 (AT1) and type 2 (AT2) receptors. To date, most of the known effects of Ang II in adult tissues are attributable to the AT1 receptor. Recent cloning of the AT2 receptor contributes to reveal its physiological functions, but many functions of the AT2 receptor are still an enigma. AT1 and AT2 receptors belong to the 7-transmembrane, G protein-coupled receptor family. However, accumulating evidence demonstrates that the function and signaling mechanisms of these receptor subtypes are quite different, and these receptors may exert opposite effects in terms of cell growth and blood pressure regulation. We will review the role of the AT2 receptor in the cardiovascular system and the molecular and cellular mechanisms of AT2 receptor action.

Angiotensin II type 2 receptor mediates vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis and antagonizes angiotensin II type 1 receptor action: An in vitro gene transfer study

Angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptor is expressed abundantly in the fetal vasculature with rapid decline after birth and re-expressed in the adult vasculature after injury, whereas angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor is expressed. We studied their effects on apoptosis in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Serum starvation induced VSMC DNA fragmentation and the stimulation of AT1 receptor inhibited this apoptotic change. We transfected rat AT2 receptor cDNA, since cultured adult VSMCs show very low level of endogenous AT2 receptor. In AT2 receptor transfected VSMC, selective stimulation of AT2 receptor facilitated serum-deprivation-induced apoptosis and AT1 receptor stimulation inhibited it. Moreover we observed that AT1 receptor stimulation activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), whereas the AT2 receptor stimulation inhibited the activation of ERK. Taken together, our results suggest that AT1 and AT2 receptors exert counteracting effects on ERK activation and consequently VSMC apoptosis and differential expression of these receptors may participate in vascular development and vascular remodeling.

Activation of the de novo Biosynthesis of Sphingolipids Mediates Angiotensin II Type 2 Receptor-induced Apoptosis

This study examines the role of sphingolipids in mediating the apoptosis of PC12W cells induced by the angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptor. PC12W cells express abundant AT2 receptor but not angiotensin II type 1 receptor and undergo apoptosis when stimulated by angiotensin II. AT2receptor-induced ceramide accumulation preceded the onset of caspase 3 activation and DNA fragmentation. AT2 receptor-induced ceramide accumulation did not result from the degradation of complex sphingolipids (SL) such as sphingomyelin or glycosphingolipids, as no changes in neutral or acidic sphingomyelinase activities, sphingomyelin level, nor in cellular glycolipid composition were observed. AT2 receptor activated serine palmitoyltransferase with a maximum time of 24 h after angiotensin II stimulation. The AT2 receptor-induced accumulation of ceramide was blocked by inhibitors of the de novo pathway of SL synthesis, β-chloro-l-alanine and fumonisin B1. Inhibition of the de novo biosynthesis of SLs by fumonisin B1 and β-chloro-l-alanine completely abrogated the AT2 receptor-mediated apoptosis. Pertussis toxin and orthovanadate blocked AT2 receptor-mediated ceramide production. Taken together our data demonstrate that in PC12W cells the stimulation of AT2 receptor induces the activation of de novo pathway, and a metabolite of this pathway, possibly ceramide, mediates AT2 receptor-induced apoptosis.

Stimulation of Different Subtypes of Angiotensin II Receptors, AT1 and AT2 Receptors, Regulates STAT Activation by Negative Crosstalk

Angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptor exerts an inhibitory action on cell growth. In the present study, we report that the stimulation of AT2 receptor in AT2 receptor cDNA-transfected rat adult vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) inhibited angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT (signal transducers and activators of transcription) 1alpha/beta, STAT2, and STAT3 without influence on Janus kinase. AT2 receptor activation also inhibited the tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1alpha/beta induced by interferon-gamma, epidermal growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor. Similar effects of AT2 receptor were observed in R3T3 fibroblast and mouse fetal VSMCs, which express endogenous AT2 receptor. Moreover, AT2 receptor inhibited serine phosphorylation of STAT1alpha and STAT3 via the inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation. Stimulation of AT2 receptor inhibited the binding of STATs with sis-inducing element in c-fos promoter, resulting in decreased c-fos expression. Taken together, our results suggest that AT2 receptor can crosstalk negatively with multiple families of growth receptors by inhibiting ERK and STAT activation.

Expression of the AT2 receptor developmentally programs extracellular signal-regulated kinase activity and influences fetal vascular growth

Angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptor is abundantly expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) of the fetal vasculature during late gestation (embryonic day 15-20), during which the blood vessels undergo remodeling. To examine directly the influence of AT2 receptor expression in the developmental biology of VSMC, we studied cultures of VSMC from fetal and postnatal wild-type (Agtr2(+)) and AT2 receptor null (Agtr2(-)) mice. Consistent with in vivo data, AT2 receptor binding in cultured Agtr2(+) VSMC increased by age, peaking at embryonic day 20, and decreased dramatically after birth. Angiotensin II-induced growth in Agtr2(+) VSMC (embryonic day 20) was increased by the AT2 receptor blocker PD123319, indicating that the AT2 receptors are functional and exert an antigrowth effect in Agtr2(+) VSMC. Growth of VSMC in response to serum decreased age dependently and was higher in Agtr2(-) than in Agtr2(+), inversely correlating with AT2 receptor expression. However, serum-induced growth in Agtr2(+) and Agtr2(-) VSMC and the exaggerated Agtr2(-) VSMC growth was maintained even in the presence of PD123319 or losartan, an AT1 receptor blocker. Moreover, Agtr2(-) VSMC showed greater growth responses to platelet-derived growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor, indicating that Agtr2(-) cells exhibit a generalized exaggerated growth phenotype. We studied the mechanism responsible for this phenotype and observed that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity was higher in Agtr2(-) VSMC at baseline and also in response to serum. ERK kinase inhibitor PD98059 inhibited both growth and ERK phosphorylation dose-dependently, while the regression lines between growth and ERK phosphorylation were identical in Agtr2(+) and Agtr2(-) VSMC, suggesting that increased ERK activity in Agtr2(-) VSMC is pivotal in the growth enhancement. Furthermore, the difference in ERK phosphorylation between Agtr2(+) and Agtr2(-) was abolished by vanadate but not by okadaic acid, implicating tyrosine phosphatase in the difference in ERK activity. These results suggest that the AT2 receptor expression during the fetal vasculogenesis influences the growth phenotype of VSMC via the modulation of ERK cascade.

Molecular and cellular mechanism of angiotensin II-mediated apoptosis

It is well known that angiotensin II exerts growth promoting effects via the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor. We have cloned a second type of angiotensin II receptor (AT2 receptor) and demonstrated that this receptor acts as an antagonistic receptor against the AT1 receptor. Moreover, we have demonstrated that the AT2 receptor exerts growth inhibitory and proapoptotic effects by antagonizing the effects of the AT1 receptor and growth factors in several cell lines including vascular smooth muscle cells, cardiomyocytes, neuronal cell (PC12W) and fibroblasts (R3T3). We observed that the AT2 receptor activates tyrosine phosphatase(s) such as mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase-phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) and inactivates MAP kinase (extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1 and ERK2)), resulting in Bcl-2 dephosphorylation and up-regulation of Bax. This inactivation of ERK is mediated via Gi protein coupling through its unique intracellular third loop. Moreover, we have demonstrated that interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-1 also up-regulates the AT2 receptor in apoptotic cells, suggesting that the cytokines may play an important role in angiotensin-regulated apoptosis.

AT2 Receptor and Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Differentiation in Vascular Development

The angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptor is transiently expressed at late gestation in the fetal vasculature, but its expression rapidly declines after birth. We have previously demonstrated that the expression of this receptor mediates decline in vascular DNA synthesis that occurs at this stage of vascular development. To examine further the role of the AT2 receptor in vasculogenesis, we have focused on the effect of the AT2 receptor on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) differentiation. In this study, we examined the time-dependent expression of differentiation markers for VSMCs in the aorta of wild-type and AT2 receptor-null mice. alpha-Smooth muscle actin was expressed at the early stage of differentiation and exhibited unchanged expression before and after the peak of AT2 receptor expression, which was observed at embryonic day 20, neonatal day 1, and thereafter. No difference in alpha-smooth muscle actin expression was observed between the wild-type and AT2 receptor-null mice. In contrast, the mRNA levels for calponin, expressed in the late stage of VSMC differentiation, were significantly higher in the wild-type mouse aorta as compared with the AT2 receptor-null mice, which correlates with expression of the AT2 receptor. Moreover, the protein levels of calponin and high-molecular-weight caldesmon (h-caldesmon) showed lower expression in the aorta of AT2 receptor knockout mice at 2 and 4 weeks after birth. Taken together, our results suggest that the AT2 receptor promotes vascular differentiation and contributes to vasculogenesis.

Vitality Index as a useful tool to assess elderly with dementia

Background: The aim of the present paper was to establish a new objective scale to measure vitality related to activities of daily living in elderly patients with dementia.

Molecular Mechanism of Fibronectin Gene Activation by Cyclic Stretch in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Fibronectin plays an important role in vascular remodeling. A functional interaction between mechanical stimuli and locally produced vasoactive agents is suggested to be crucial for vascular remodeling. We examined the effect of mechanical stretch on fibronectin gene expression in vascular smooth muscle cells and the role of vascular angiotensin II in the regulation of the fibronectin gene in response to stretch. Cyclic stretch induced an increase in vascular fibronectin mRNA levels that was inhibited by actinomycin D and CV11974, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist; cycloheximide and PD123319, an angiotensin II type 2 receptor antagonist, did not affect the induction. In transfection experiments, fibronectin promoter activity was stimulated by stretch and inhibited by CV11974 but not by PD123319. DNA-protein binding experiments revealed that cyclic stretch enhanced nuclear binding to the AP-1 site, which was partially supershifted by antibody to c-Jun. Site-directed mutation of the AP-1 site significantly decreased the cyclic stretch-mediated activation of fibronectin promoter. Furthermore, antisense c-jun oligonucleotides decreased the stretch-induced stimulation of the fibronectin promoter activity and the mRNA expression. These results suggest that cyclic stretch stimulates vascular fibronectin gene expression mainly via the activation of AP-1 through the angiotensin II type 1 receptor.

Estrogen receptor β mediates the inhibitory effect of estradiol on vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation

Objectives: It has been demonstrated that 17β-estradiol (E2) has an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) through an estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent pathway. Both ER subtypes, classical ER (ERα) and the newly identified ER subtype (ERβ), are expressed in VSMCs. However, it remains unknown which receptor plays the critical role in the inhibitory effect on VSMC proliferation. Methods and results: We constructed replication-deficient adenoviruses bearing the coding region of human ERα, ERβ, and the dominant-negative form of ERβ (designated AxCAERα, AxCAERβ, and AxCADNERβ, respectively). Prior to infection with the adenoviruses, 100 nmol/l E2 attenuated DNA synthesis by up to 14% and transactivated the estrogen-induced expression of the desired mRNA in rat VSMCs. This was accompanied by increased transcriptional activity of estrogen responsive element in response to E2, and the increase was comparable between AxCAERα and AxCAERβ. When VSMCs were infected with AxCAERβ at a multiplicity of infection of 5 or higher, DNA synthesis as well as cell number decreased by 50% in response to E2, and the effect was abolished by co-infection with AxCADNERβ. In contrast, when VSMCs were infected with AxCAERα, the reduction in DNA synthesis was minimal. Conclusions: Our results indicate that ERβ is more potent than ERα in the inhibitory effect on VSMC proliferation.