Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0020538 (hypertension)
 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized by three distinct NO synthases (neuronal, inducible, and endothelial NOSs), all of which are expressed in almost all tissues and organs in humans. The regulatory roles of NOSs in vivo have been investigated in pharmacological studies with non-selective NOS inhibitors. However, the specificity of the inhibitors continues to be an issue of debate, and the authentic significance of NOSs is still poorly understood. To address this issue, we generated mice in which all three NOS genes are completely disrupted. The triple NOSs null mice exhibited cardiovascular abnormalities, including hypertension, arteriosclerosis, myocardial infarction, cardiac hypertrophy, diastolic heart failure, and reduced EDHF responses, with a shorter survival. The triple NOSs null mice also displayed metabolic abnormalities, including metabolic syndrome and high-fat diet-induced severe dyslipidemia. Furthermore, the triple NOSs null mice showed renal abnormalities (nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and pathological renal remodeling), lung abnormalities (accelerated pulmonary fibrosis), and bone abnormalities (increased bone mineral density and bone turnover). These results provide evidence that NOSs play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of disorders. This review summarizes the latest knowledge on the significance of NOSs in vivo, based on lessons learned from experiments with our triple mutant model.
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PMID:Significance of nitric oxide synthases: Lessons from triple nitric oxide synthases null mice. 2570 17

Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized by a family of NO synthases (NOS), including neuronal, inducible, and endothelial NOS (n/i/eNOS). NO-mediated effects can be beneficial or harmful depending on the specific risk factors affecting the disease. In hypertension, the vascular relaxation response to acetylcholine is blunted, and that to direct NO donors is maintained. A reduction in the activity of eNOS is mainly responsible for the elevation of blood pressure, and an abnormal expression of iNOS is likely to be related to the progression of vascular dysfunction. While eNOS/nNOS-derived NO is protective against the development of atherosclerosis, iNOS-derived NO may be proatherogenic. eNOS-derived NO may prevent the progression of myocardial infarction. Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury is significantly enhanced in eNOS-deficient animals. An important component of heart failure is the loss of coronary vascular eNOS activity. A pressure-overload may cause severer left ventricular hypertrophy and dysfunction in eNOS null mice than in wild-type mice. iNOS-derived NO has detrimental effects on the myocardium. NO plays an important role in regulating the angiogenesis and slowing the interstitial fibrosis of the obstructed kidney. In unilateral ureteral obstruction, the expression of eNOS was decreased in the affected kidney. In triply n/i/eNOS null mice, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus developed along with reduced aquaporin-2 abundance. In chronic kidney disease model of subtotal-nephrectomized rats, treatment with NOS inhibitors decreased systemic NO production and induced left ventricular systolic dysfunction (renocardiac syndrome).
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PMID:Altered Nitric Oxide System in Cardiovascular and Renal Diseases. 2723 71

Vasopressin (AVP) induces antidiuresis, thus playing an essential role in body water and electrolyte homeostasis. Its antidiuretic effects are mediated chiefly by V2 vasopressin receptors (V2R) expressed along the distal nephron and collecting duct epithelia. NaCl reabsorption in the distal nephron, which includes the thick ascending limb (TAL) and distal convoluted tubule (DCT), largely depends on the activity of two structurally related Na-(K)-Cl cotransporters, NKCC2 in TAL and NCC in DCT. AVP-induced activation of these transporters contributes to urine concentration and renal electrolyte reabsorption. Previous work has specified molecular pathways mediating the effects of V2R activation in TAL and DCT, and protein networks involved in intracellular trafficking and phosphoregulation of the two transporters have been identified. This review summarizes recent progress in understanding AVP signalling mechanisms that are responsible for the activation of NKCC2 and NCC. Implications in the pathophysiology of diseases such as nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus and salt-sensitive hypertension are discussed in this context.
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PMID:Regulation of renal Na-(K)-Cl cotransporters by vasopressin. 2857 72


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