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The renin-angiotensin system seems to play an important role in the pathogenesis of renal interstitial fibrosis. However, the potential direct effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) on cultured renal fibroblasts have been little studied. We have observed that rat renal interstitial fibroblasts (NRK 49F cell line) possess AT1 receptors coupled to intracellular calcium mobilization. Exposure of these cells to Ang II induced several short and long growth-related metabolic events mediated by the AT1 receptor, including c-fos gene expression, changes in cell cycle and cell proliferation. Activation of interstitial fibroblasts by Ang II could also contribute to extracellular matrix accumulation. Stimulation with Ang II increased mRNA expression of TGF-beta 1, fibronectin and type I collagen. In fact, Ang II enhanced fibronectin production via AT1 receptors by a process depending on autocrine TGF-beta secretion. The mechanism of some Ang II actions (calcium mobilization and fibronectin production) depended on protein kinase C and tyrosine kinase activation. We further investigated whether renal fibroblasts could express some components of the renin-angiotensin system. These cells constitutively expressed the angiotensinogen gene that was up-regulated by Ang II. Collectively, these results indicate that in renal interstitial fibroblasts Ang II causes hyperplasia and extracellular matrix production via the AT1 receptor. Ang II may initiate a positive feedback regulation of fibroblasts growth, inducing the expression of TGF-beta 1 and angiotensinogen genes. Ang II, acting directly on interstitial fibroblasts, may be implicated in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis.
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PMID:Angiotensin II modulates cell growth-related events and synthesis of matrix proteins in renal interstitial fibroblasts. 940 95

This review describes how angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonists (eg, candesartan cilexetil, losartan) effectively protect against end-organ damage including stroke, cardiac hypertrophy, renal dysfunction, glomerulosclerosis, and/or vascular hypertrophy in the models of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP), SHR, DOCA/salt hypertensive rats, Dahl hypertensive rats and/or 5/6 nephrectomised rats. Particularly in SHRSP and DOCA/salt hypertensive rats, candesartan cilexetil markedly reduced the incidence of stroke and renal injury even at doses which had no effect on blood pressure (BP), suggesting that the tissue protective effects of angiotensin AT1 antagonists are not attributable simply to the normalisation of BP. In the heart, kidney and vascular tissues of SHRSP and the kidney of DOCA/salt hypertensive rats, the mRNA levels for transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 and extracellular matrix components (fibronectin, collagen type I, III and IV and laminin) were increased, and the increases of the gene expression were inhibited by treatment with candesartan cilexetil. In addition, there are some reports indicating that angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonists inhibit directly hypertrophy or proliferation of cultured cardiac myocytes and nonmyocytes (fibroblast), cultured mesangial cells and cultured vascular smooth muscle cells, which were stimulated by angiotensin II. These in vitro and in vivo findings suggest that local tissue AT1 receptor stimulation, being accompanied by the increased gene expression of TGF-beta1 and extracellular matrix components may partially contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular end-organ damage.
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PMID:Angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonism and protection against cardiovascular end-organ damage. 965 51

Antiatherogenic effects of imidapril and involvement of renin angiotensin system were examined in experimental atherosclerosis induced by feeding a high-cholesterol diet to Cynomolgus monkeys. Eighteen male monkeys were divided into three groups and placed under (1) normal diet (normal group), (2) high-cholesterol diet (control group), (3) high-cholesterol diet with imidapril (20 mg/kg body wt/day, orally) treatment (imidapril group). At the end of the experiment, the normal group showed no apparent atherosclerosis in their aorta evaluated by oil red-O staining, while the control group exhibited marked atherosclerotic involvement of the intimal surface of the aorta (58.4 +/- 9.3%, P < 0.01). Imidapril reduced systolic blood pressure and atherosclerotic involvement (24.1 +/- 5.5%, P < 0.05). Total cholesterol content of the descending thoracic aorta was also significantly reduced in the imidapril group. In the atherosclerotic vessels, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity evaluated by quantitative in vitro autoradiography was significantly increased in the intimal lesion. Further evaluation revealed angiotensin II (Ang II) type I (AT1) receptor density was significantly increased in the medial lesion and type II (AT2) receptor density in the adventitia. When the progression of atherosclerosis was impeded by imidapril treatment, the ACE activity level as well as the AT1 and AT2 receptor density remained at normal. Expression of mRNA for fibronectin, TGF-beta1, types I and III collagen was studied by Northern blot analysis. No significant differences in types I and III collagen mRNA levels were found between the control and imidapril group. On the other hand, mRNA expression for fibronectin and TGF-beta1 were much lower in the imidapril group than in the control group. These results suggest that increased production of Ang II and activated receptors may be involved in atherosclerotic process in this model and also antiatherogenic effect of imidapril may be derived from reduction of local Ang II production as well as its hypotensive action.
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PMID:Induction of angiotensin converting enzyme and angiotensin II receptors in the atherosclerotic aorta of high-cholesterol fed Cynomolgus monkeys. 967 83

The expression pattern of angiotensin (Ang) II type 2 receptor (AT2-R) in the remodeling process of human left ventricles (LVs) remains poorly defined. We analyzed its expression at protein, mRNA, and cellular levels using autopsy, biopsy, or operation LV samples from patients with failing hearts caused by acute (AMI) or old (OMI) myocardial infarction and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and also examined functional biochemical responses of failing hearts to Ang II. In autopsy samples from the nonfailing heart group, the ratio of AT1-R and AT2-R was 59% and 41%, respectively. The expression of AT2-R was markedly increased in DCM hearts at protein (3.5-fold) and mRNA (3.1-fold) levels compared with AMI or OMI. AT1-R protein and mRNA levels in AMI hearts showed 1.5- and 2.1-fold increases, respectively, whereas in OMI and DCM hearts, AT1-R expression was significantly downregulated. AT1-R-mediated response in inositol phosphate production was significantly attenuated in LV homogenate from failing hearts compared with nonfailing hearts. AT2-R sites were highly localized in the interstitial region in either nonfailing or failing heart, whereas AT1-R was evenly distributed over myocardium at lower densities. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation by Ang II was significantly decreased in fibroblast compartment from the failing hearts, and pretreatment with AT2-R antagonist caused an additional significant increase in Ang II-induced MAPK activity (36%). Cardiac hypertrophy suggested by atrial and brain natriuretic peptide levels was comparably increased in OMI and DCM, whereas accumulation of matrix proteins such as collagen type 1 and fibronectin was much more prominent in DCM than in OMI. These findings demonstrate that (1) AT2-R expression is upregulated in failing hearts, and fibroblasts present in the interstitial regions are the major cell type responsible for its expression, (2) AT2-R present in the fibroblasts exerts an inhibitory effect on Ang II-induced mitogen signals, and (3) AT1-R in atrial and LV tissues was downregulated during chronic heart failure, and AT1-R-mediated functional biochemical responsiveness was decreased in the failing hearts. Thus, the expression level of AT2-R is likely determined by the extent of interstitial fibrosis associated with heart failure, and the expression and function of AT1-R and AT2-R are differentially regulated in failing human hearts.
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PMID:Angiotensin II type 2 receptor is upregulated in human heart with interstitial fibrosis, and cardiac fibroblasts are the major cell type for its expression. 981 51

Mesangial cells are one of the main targets of angiotensin II (AngII) in the renal cortex. AngII receptors on mesangial cells are of high affinity (nanomolar range). They belong to the AT1 subtype as shown by the inhibitory effect of AT1 antagonists on [125I]-Sar1, Ala8 AngII binding and on all of the biologic effects mediated by AngII, such as cytosolic calcium stimulation, inositol phosphate formation, prostaglandin production, and cell contraction. AngII also exerts long-term effects on mesangial cells, including stimulation of cell growth and synthesis of a variety of proteins, essentially the components of the extracellular matrix (collagen, fibronectin) and the type 1 inhibitor of plasminogen activator. These effects are mediated, at least in part, by autocrine products, in particular endothelin, platelet-derived growth factor, and transforming growth factor-beta, whose synthesis is enhanced by AngII. Treatment by an AT1 receptor blocker of mice with experimental nephritis inhibits activation of type I collagen alpha2 chain promoter and prevents the development of glomerulosclerosis. AngII receptors in rat mesangial cells are equally distributed between the AT1A and AT1B isoforms. Treatment of these cells by AngII or losartan, an AT1 receptor blocker, has no effect on AT1A and AT1B receptor mRNA expression, whereas candesartan, another AT1 receptor blocker, increases and dexamethasone decreases this expression.
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PMID:Mesangial AT1 receptors: expression, signaling, and regulation. 989 39

We investigated the effects of the angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 receptor (AT1) antagonist KRH-594 on levels of the mRNAs for AT1A, AT1B, platelet-derived growth factor-receptor beta (PDGF-Rbeta), and extracellular matrix (ECM)-related genes using the competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method and on neointimal formation in the balloon-injured rat carotid artery. The mRNA levels for AT1A and PDGF-Rbeta, but not for AT1B, increased from day 3 after injury to day 14. KRH-594 administered orally at 3 and 10 mg/kg/day significantly suppressed these increases. KRH-594 (10 mg/kg/day) also suppressed the injury-induced gene expressions for transforming growth factor-beta1 and fibronectin and reduced collagen alpha1(I) and alpha1(III) mRNA levels for the first 7 days after injury. KRH-594 (10 and 30 mg/kg/day) significantly and dose-dependently reduced the neointimal area in cross sections of the artery 14 days after injury. Another AT1 antagonist, TCV-116 (candesartan cilexetil; 1 and 3 mg/kg/day p.o.), had similar effects on the morphological change and AT1A mRNA level, whereas a smooth muscle relaxant, hydralazine (10 mg/kg/day p.o.), did not. These results indicate that up-regulation of AT1A, PDGF-Rbeta, and ECM-related genes in the balloon-injured carotid artery is in part an AT1-mediated phenomenon and that prevention of receptor up-regulation may contribute to the attenuating effects of AT1 antagonists on neointimal formation after injury.
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PMID:Angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockade prevents up-regulation of angiotensin II type 1A receptors in rat injured artery. 991 4

Hypertension and kidney damage in the double transgenic rat (dTGR) harboring both human renin and human angiotensinogen genes are dependent on the human components of the renin angiotensin system. We tested the hypothesis that monocyte infiltration and increased adhesion molecule expression are involved in the pathogenesis of kidney damage in dTGR. We also evaluated the effects of long-term angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition, AT1 blockade, and human renin inhibition on monocyte recruitment and inflammatory response in dTGR. Systolic blood pressure and 24-hour albuminuria were markedly increased in 7-week-old dTGR as compared with age-matched normotensive Sprague Dawley rats. We found a significant monocyte/macrophage infiltration in the renal perivascular space and increased expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in the interstitium, intima, and adventitia of the small renal vessels. alphaLbeta2 integrin and alpha4beta1 integrin, the corresponding ligands for ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, were also found on infiltrating monocytes/macrophages. The expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and fibronectin in the kidneys of dTGR were increased and distributed similarly to ICAM-1. In 4-week-old dTGR, long-term treatment with ACE inhibition (cilazapril), AT1 receptor blockade (valsartan), and human renin inhibition (RO 65-7219) (each drug 10 mg/kg by gavage once a day for 3 weeks) completely prevented the development of albuminuria. However, only cilazapril and valsartan were able to decrease blood pressure to normotensive levels. Interestingly, the drugs were all equally effective in preventing monocyte/macrophage infiltration and the overexpression of adhesion molecules, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and fibronectin in the kidney. Our findings indicate that angiotensin II causes monocyte recruitment and vascular inflammatory response in the kidney by blood pressure-dependent and blood pressure-independent mechanisms. ACE inhibition, AT1 receptor blockade, and human renin inhibition all prevent monocyte/macrophage infiltration and increased adhesion molecule expression in the kidneys of dTGR.
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PMID:Monocyte infiltration and adhesion molecules in a rat model of high human renin hypertension. 993 Nov 35

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system has emerged as a potential candidate for the accumulation of collagen in cardiac fibroblasts. The traditional renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system can be considered a system in which circulating angiotensin II or aldosterone is delivered to target tissue or cells. However, an independent local renin-angiotensin system has also been described in cardiac cells and evidence has been accumulated for autocrine and/or paracrine pathways by which biological actions of angiotensin II can be mediated. These actions of angiotensin II are primarily mediated through angiotensin II receptors of the subtype I (AT1). When evaluating the effects of angiotensin II in situ, changes in circulating levels and local production both have to be taken into account. Functional angiotensin II receptors have been documented in cardiac fibroblasts although the presence of aldosterone receptors in cardiac fibroblasts is obscure, and the expression of mRNA for mineralocorticoid receptors in cardiac fibroblasts has been described. In vitro, angiotensin II increased cardiac fibroblast-mediated collagen synthesis and mRNA levels of collagen type I, type III, pro-alpha 1 (I) collagen, pro-alpha 1 (III) collagen and fibronectin, and inhibited matrix metalloproteinase I activity. The ability of angiotensin II to induce collagen synthesis and expression of collagen in cardiac fibroblasts may be mediated by an increase in transforming growth factor-beta 1 in an autocrine/paracrine fashion. The angiotensin II-stimulated secretion and expression of collagen was completely abolished by AT1 receptor antagonism, but not affected by AT2 receptor antagonism. The discordant findings that have been reported concerning the in vitro effect of aldosterone on collagen synthesis in cardiac fibroblasts can at least partly be attributed to differences in methodology such as the use of the total population or a sub-population of cardiac fibroblasts. In vivo, chronic infusion of angiotensin II or aldosterone increased the collagen volume fraction in the ventricles. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition and AT1 receptor antagonism, but not AT2 receptor antagonism, reduced collagen deposition in the myocardium in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The cardioprotective mechanism of action of ACE inhibitors can be attributed to local blockade of the formation of angiotensin II, to the degradation of bradykinin or to the release of nitric oxide and/or eicosanoids. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors also reduced collagen deposition in rat myocardium following myocardial infarction suggesting that collagen deposition may in part result from mechanisms other than through AT1 receptors. However, further research is necessary to unravel the various mechanisms involved in the action of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or of AT1 receptor antagonists on collagen deposition in the myocardium.
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PMID:Antagonism of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and collagen metabolism in cardiac fibroblasts. 1038 25

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors exert a beneficial effect on nephritis. We investigated the effects of KD3-671, an angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonist (2-propyl-8-oxo-1-[(2'-(H-tetrazole-5-yl)biphenyl-4-yl)methyl]-4,5,6,7-t etrahydro-cycloheptimidazole), on anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody-associated nephritis in rats. Untreated nephritic rats had massive proteinuria, glomerular lesions including crescent formation, a significant augmentation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive cells, alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive cells, and the increase in deposition of proteoglycan, fibronectin and desmin in the glomeruli. Administration of KD3-671 to nephritic rats prevented the development of intense proteinuria, glomerular alterations and the increase in plasma urea nitrogen. KD3-671 suppressed the deposition of matrix protein and the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and desmin in the nephritic glomeruli. Captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, suppressed urinary protein excretion and the expression of desmin in the nephritic glomeruli, but not other parameters. These results suggest that KD3-671 may be a useful medicine against glomerulonephritis and glomerulosclerosis.
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PMID:Angiotensin II type I receptor antagonist suppresses proteinuria and glomerular lesions in experimental nephritis. 1042 45

The alveolar epithelium consists of two cell types, alveolar type I (AT1) and alveolar type II (AT2) cells. We have recently shown that 7-day-old cultures of AT2 cells grown on a type I collagen/fibronectin matrix develop phenotypic characteristics of AT1 cells, display a distinct connexin profile, and coordinate mechanically induced intercellular Ca(2+) changes via gap junctions (25). In this study, we cultured AT2 cells for 7 days on matrix supplemented with laminin-5 and/or in the presence of keratinocyte growth factor. Under these conditions, cultured AT2 cells display AT2 type morphology, express the AT2-specific marker surfactant protein C, and do not express AT1-specific cell marker aquaporin 5, all consistent with maintenance of AT2 phenotype. These AT2-like cells also coordinate mechanically induced intercellular Ca(2+) signaling, but, unlike AT1-like cells, do so by using extracellular nucleotide triphosphate release. Additionally, cultured cells that retain AT2 cell-specific markers express connexin profiles different from cultured cells with AT1 characteristics. The parallel changes in intercellular Ca(2+) signaling with cell differentiation suggest that cell signaling mechanisms are an intrinsic component of lung alveolar cell phenotype. Because lung epithelial injury is accompanied by extracellular matrix and growth factor changes, followed by extensive cell division, differentiation, and migration of AT2 progenitor cells, we suggest that similar changes may be vital to the lung recovery and repair process in vivo.
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PMID:Modulation of pulmonary alveolar type II cell phenotype and communication by extracellular matrix and KGF. 1154 67


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