Stefania Simeone

Aldosterone-Induced Activation of Signaling Pathways Requires Activity of Angiotensin Type 1a Receptors

Rationale: Aldosterone has been shown to induce vascular damage, endothelial dysfunction, and myocardial fibrosis, which depend in part on activation of angiotensin II (Ang II)–mediated pathways. However, mechanisms underlying crosstalk between Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) are mostly unknown. Objectives: We tested whether the lack of Ang II type 1a receptor (AT1aR) or Ang II type 1b receptor (AT1bR) would decrease cellular effects induced by aldosterone. Methods and Results: We examined the effect of Ang II or aldosterone after transfection of mesenteric vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from C57Bl/6 mice with small interference RNA for AT1aR, AT1bR, or MR for 48 hours. Ang II and aldosterone separately induced ERK1/2, c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK), and nuclear factor (NF)-&kgr;B phosphorylation after a 20-minute stimulation. Small interference RNA for AT1aR downregulated phosphorylation of ERK1/2, JNK, and NF-&kgr;B after aldosterone stimulation compared to controls. Downregulation of AT1bR or MR only abolished the activation of NF-&kgr;B. In VSMCs from C57Bl/6 mice, aldosterone and Ang II induced the activation of the c-fos promoter from 30 minutes to 1 hour. This effect was blocked when using VSMCs from AT1aR knockout mice. Conclusion: We show for the first time that nongenomic and genomic effects of aldosterone are differentially dependent on activity of both AT1aR and AT1bR. Our data suggest that aldosterone augments AT1R-dependent activation of ERK1/2, JNK, and NF-&kgr;B in VSMCs. We provide mechanistic understanding and experimental in vitro support for the benefit of combination therapy with dual blockade of AT1R and MR to treat hypertension and progression of heart failure as reported in clinical studies and animal models.

Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase–Activated Protein Kinase 2 in Angiotensin II–Induced Inflammation and Hypertension: Regulation of Oxidative Stress

Vascular oxidative stress and inflammation play an important role in angiotensin II–induced hypertension, and mitogen-activated protein kinases participate in these processes. We questioned whether mitogen-activated protein kinase–activated protein kinase 2 (MK2), a downstream target of p38 mitogen–activated protein kinase, is involved in angiotensin II–induced vascular responses. In vivo experiments were performed in wild-type and Mk2 knockout mice infused intravenously with angiotensin II. Angiotensin II induced a 30 mm Hg increase in mean blood pressure in wild-type that was delayed in Mk2 knockout mice. Angiotensin II increased superoxide production and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 in blood vessels of wild-type but not in Mk2 knockout mice. Mk2 knockdown by small interfering RNA in mouse mesenteric vascular smooth muscle cells caused a 42% reduction in MK2 protein and blunted the angiotensin II–induced 40% increase of MK2 expression. Mk2 knockdown blunted angiotensin II–induced doubling of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 expression, 2.4-fold increase of nuclear p65, and 1.4-fold increase in Ets-1. Mk2 knockdown abrogated the angiotensin II–induced 4.7-fold and 1.3-fold increase of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 mRNA and protein. Angiotensin II enhanced reactive oxygen species levels (by 29%) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activity (by 48%), both abolished by Mk2 knockdown. Reduction of MK2 blocked angiotensin II–induced p47phox translocation to the membrane, associated with a 53% enhanced catalase expression. Angiotensin II–induced increase of MK2 was prevented by the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase inhibitor Nox2ds-tat. Mk2 small interfering RNA prevented the angiotensin II–induced 30% increase of proliferation. In conclusion, MK2 plays a critical role in angiotensin II signaling, leading to hypertension, oxidative stress via activation of p47phox and inhibition of antioxidants, and vascular inflammation and proliferation.

Protective role of vascular smooth muscle cell PPARγ in angiotensin II-induced vascular disease

AIMS Vascular peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) activation improves vascular remodelling and endothelial function in hypertensive rodents. The goal of this study was to determine that vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) PPARγ exerts a vascular protective role beyond its metabolic effects. METHODS AND RESULTS We generated a model of adult inducible VSMC-specific Pparγ inactivation to test the hypothesis that PPARγ counteracts angiotensin (Ang) II-induced vascular remodelling and endothelial dysfunction. Inducible VSMC Pparγ knockout mice were generated by crossing Pparγ floxed mice with mice expressing a tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase Smooth muscle (Sm) myosin heavy chain promoter control. Eight-to-ten-week-old SmPparγ(-/-) and control mice were infused with a nonpressor dose of Ang II for 7 days. Blood pressure was unaffected. Mesenteric arteries showed eutrophic remodelling in Ang II-infused control mice and hypertrophic remodelling in Ang II-infused SmPparγ(-/-) mice. Endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine was reduced in SmPparγ(-/-) mice and further impaired by Ang II infusion, and was unaffected by an inhibitor of NO synthase, suggesting a defect of NO-mediated relaxation. SmPparγ deletion increased the sensitivity to Ang II-induced contraction. SmPparγ(-/-) mice exhibited enhanced Ang II-induced vascular NADPH oxidase activity and adhesion molecule ICAM-1 and chemokine monocyte chemotactic protein-1 expression. The antioxidant Superoxide dismutase 3 expression was decreased by SmPparγ deletion. Ang II infusion increased the expression of CD3 T-cell co-receptor chain δ and decreased Adiponectin in perivascular adipose tissue of SmPparγ(-/-) mice. CONCLUSION Inducible Pparγ inactivation in VSMCs exacerbated Ang II-induced vascular remodelling and endothelial dysfunction via enhanced vascular oxidative stress and inflammation, revealing the protective role of VSMC PPARγ in angiotensin II-induced vascular injury.

Vascular gene expression in mice overexpressing human endothelin-1 targeted to the endothelium

Endothelin (ET)-1 plays an important pathophysiological role in several vascular diseases including hypertension and atherosclerosis. Transgenic mice overexpressing human preproET-1 selectively in the endothelium (eET-1) exhibit vascular injury in the absence of blood pressure elevation. ET-1 overexpression may induce vascular injury by inducing changes in gene expression. To understand mechanisms whereby ET-1 induces vascular damage, vascular gene expression profiling was performed using DNA microarrays. RNA from mesenteric arteries of male and female young (6-7 wk) and mature (6-8 mo) eET-1 and wild-type (WT) mice was isolated, and changes in gene expression were determined by genome-wide expression profiling using Illumina microarray and FlexArray software. Data were analyzed using a relaxed and a stringent statistical approach. The gene lists were compared and analyzed as well with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. The most common change was an increase in the expression of lipid metabolism genes. Four of these genes were validated by qPCR, cyp51, dgat2, and scd1 genes in young and elovl6 in both young and mature male mice, supporting a role of ET-1 in atherosclerosis. To test the hypothesis that ET-1 participates in mechanisms leading to atherosclerosis, we crossed eET-1 with atherosclerosis-prone apoE(-/-) mice to determine whether ET-1 overexpression exacerbates high-fat diet (HFD)-induced atherosclerosis using oil red O staining of descending thoracic aorta. HFD increased lipid plaques by 3-, 27-, and 86-fold in eET-1, apoE(-/-), and crossed mice, respectively, vs. WT. This suggests that increased endothelial ET-1 expression results in early changes in gene expression in the vascular wall that enhance lipid biosynthesis and accelerate progression of atherosclerosis.