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Query: UMLS:C0020538 (hypertension)
 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In summary, we have seen that endothelins are potent cardiovascular and renal regulatory peptides. Cardiovascular regulation by endothelin requires complex spatial and temporal regulation of endothelin gene expression and the coordinated interplay of numerous signaling pathways. Although the precise physiologic role for endothelin peptides in the cardiovascular and renal systems remains uncertain, two general models can be proposed, as follows. (1) Endothelin appears to act as an autocrine or paracrine hormone involved in long-term (hours to days) regulation of cardiovascular and renal function in normal physiology. Similar regulation occurs in response to other cardiovascular hormones such as angiotensin II, atrial natriuretic peptides, and catecholamines. In this respect it is noteworthy that endothelin also interacts with other hormonal systems that affect cardiovascular status, such as renin-aldosterone and atrial natriuretic peptide (see references 9, 161, 162, and 213-217). (2) Endothelin might also function as a proinflammatory peptide, being locally produced at sites of vascular damage and injury. The fact that endothelin secretion is stimulated by cytokines, growth factors, and transforming growth factor beta is consistent with this role. In addition, the mitogenic actions of endothelin could contribute to vascular remodeling in the inflammatory response. A similar, defensive role has been proposed for other regulatory peptides. Endothelin has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous disorders such as hypertension (see references 28, 56, 168, 184, and 224 through 226), cerebral and myocardial vasospasm (see references 180, 223, and 227 through 233), acute renal failure, and cyclosporine nephrotoxicity. It is clear that the development of specific ECE inhibitors and endothelin receptor antagonists will enable definitive experiments addressing the role of endothelin in normal physiology and the putative role of endothelin in the development of hypertension and other cardiovascular disorders. Further identification and biochemical analysis of signaling networks evoked by endothelin, in conjunction with physiologic studies, should provide a detailed understanding of the complex biologic events regulated by endothelin peptides.
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PMID:The molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular and renal regulation by endothelin peptides. 131 1

Endothelial cells produce the 21-amino acid peptide endothelin, which is formed from its precursor, big endothelin, via the activity of converting enzyme. The basal production of the peptide is stimulated by epinephrine, angiotensin II, arginine vasopressin, transforming growth factor beta, thrombin, interleukin-1, and hypoxia. In vascular smooth muscle, endothelin binds to a specific receptor (ETA-subtype), which activates phospholipase C, leads to the formation of inositol trisphosphate, diacylglycerol (which activates protein kinase C), and increased intracellular Ca2+. In certain blood vessels, the endothelin receptor on vascular smooth muscle is linked to a voltage-operated Ca2+ channel via a G-protein. This explains why Ca2+ antagonists inhibit endothelin-induced contractions in certain, but not all, blood vessels. In the human forearm circulation, Ca2+ antagonists do prevent endothelin-induced contractions and unmask endothelin-induced vasodilation mediated by endothelial prostacyclin production (via the ETB-receptor). The pulmonary circulation plays an important role in the metabolism of endothelin, as the lungs take up large quantities of the peptide during passage. Endothelin has profound vasoconstrictor effects in the pulmonary circulation (and also in bronchial tissue), and its production is augmented in pulmonary hypertension. In systemic hypertension, the circulating endothelin levels appear to be normal. In atherosclerosis and other forms of vascular disease, circulating endothelin levels are increased. Thus, endothelin is a potent mediator in the systemic and pulmonary circulation and, in particular, in diseases of the vasculature.
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PMID:Endothelin: systemic arterial and pulmonary effects of a new peptide with potent biologic properties. 133 60

Endothelins (ET-1, ET-2 and ET-3) are a family of 21 amino acid peptides produced by endothelial cells. They are thought to regulate the local vasomotor tone with endothelium-derived relaxing factors. ETs are the most potent vasoconstrictor substances yet identified and veins and renal vasculature are the most sensitive targets. They reduce cardiac output and have positive inotropic and chronotropic effects. ETs increase the secretion of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), aldosterone and catecholamines but reduce renal blood flow and glomerular filtration and they also have mitogenic properties. ETs bind to receptors (ETA and ETB), activate phospholipase C, modulate intracellular Ca2+ concentration and open Ca2+ channels. Vasoactive agents (adrenaline, angiotensin, vasopressin, thrombin, endotoxins) and hypoxia stimulate the release of ET and also ET gene expression. Raised concentrations of plasma ET have been found to occur in several clinical conditions such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, pregnancy induced hypertension, arteriosclerosis, Raynaud's disease, subarachnoid haemorrhage, uraemia, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and surgical operations suggesting that ETs have a role in several patophysiological processes.
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PMID:Endothelin peptides: biological activities, cellular signalling and clinical significance. 138 14

Endothelial cells can produce contracting factors; endothelin, a 21-amino acid peptide that can control local vascular tone, is the most potent of these factors. Of the three isoforms of endothelin, endothelial cells appear to release primarily endothelin-1. The peptide is formed from its precursor big endothelin via the activity of the endothelin converting enzyme. The basal production of the peptide is stimulated by epinephrine, angiotensin II, arginine vasopressin, transforming growth factor beta, thrombin, interleukin-1, and the calcium ionophore A23187. In vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelin binds to a specific receptor that activates phospholipase C and leads to the formation of inositol trisphosphate, diacylglycerol, and increased intracellular calcium levels. In certain blood vessels, the endothelin receptor is linked to a voltage-operated calcium channel via a Gi protein. This may explain why calcium antagonists inhibit endothelin-induced contractions only in certain blood vessels. In the human forearm circulation, calcium antagonists of different classes prevent endothelin-induced contractions. In hypertension, the circulating endothelin levels appear to be normal, whereas the vascular sensitivity to the peptide is reduced in most vascular tissues, but normal and enhanced responses have also been reported. In atherosclerosis and other forms of vascular disease, circulating endothelin levels are augmented, a phenomenon that may be related to an increased formation of the peptide induced by modified forms of low-density lipoproteins.
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PMID:Endothelin. 172 99

Total inositol phosphate formation was measured in the aorta and femoral artery from rabbits at 1, 2 and 6 weeks after kidney wrapping, at which times the mean arterial pressures were 88 +/- 4, 96 +/- 3 and 126 +/- 7 mmHg against a control pressure of 74 +/- 3 mmHg. Noradrenaline-stimulated (10(-7) to 10(-4) mol/l) inositol phosphate formation was increased in the aorta and femoral artery from hypertensive rabbits at 2 weeks (aorta noradrenaline 10(-6) mol/l sham, 105 +/- 14%; hypertensive, 164 +/- 20% of control). Noradrenaline-stimulated inositol phosphate formation was unchanged at 1 and 6 weeks in the aorta. Endothelin-stimulated inositol phosphate formation was unchanged at 2 weeks. Basal inositol phosphate formation was not significantly different in normotensive and hypertensive animals. In perinephritis hypertension there is an alteration in phosphatidylinositol metabolism in arterial smooth muscle. This occurs at the time when the blood pressure is rising rapidly. This alteration may affect a specific phosphatidylinositol pool that is linked to the alpha-adrenoceptor but not to the endothelin receptor.
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PMID:Inositol phosphate formation in arterial smooth muscle from rabbits with perinephritis hypertension. 196 6

A role for endothelin in malignant phase hypertension has been suggested on the basis of reported increases of circulating plasma immunoreactive endothelins in animal models. Recently, a hypertensive rat model that exhibits a genetically determined tendency for developing spontaneous onset malignant hypertension has been described. Expression of the three genes endothelin-1, endothelin-2, and endothelin-3 was quantified in the kidney by specific RNase protection assays in rats with established malignant hypertension, in rats with benign hypertension with and without a genetic susceptibility to malignant hypertension, and in normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats. Endothelin-1 mRNA levels were significantly elevated in the group with malignant hypertension compared with the other three groups. For determination of whether endothelin-1-mediated effects were crucial in the transition from benign to malignant phase hypertension, an oral nonspecific combined endothelin-A and endothelin-B receptor antagonist (bosentan) was given to hypertensive rats susceptible to malignant hypertension. No hypotensive effects were observed, and no significant difference in the incidence of malignant hypertension was observed between treated and control groups. In conclusion, although increased endothelin-1 mRNA expression was found in kidney tissue from rats developing malignant hypertension, blockade of endothelin-1-mediated effects did not prevent the transition from benign phase hypertension. Hence, increased renal endothelin-1 expression in this model of malignant hypertension does not appear to have a causative role and may simply reflect cellular damage and ischemia.
Hypertension 1995 Dec
PMID:Endothelin in the kidney in malignant phase hypertension. 749 Jan 50

The endothelins, 21-amino-acid peptides produced by the endothelium of blood vessels and many other tissues such as the kidney, brain, endocrine organs, etc., are potent vasoconstrictors, and are also endowed with mitogenic and cell hypertrophic properties. Endothelin may be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension through vascular, renal, endocrine, and neural effects. Although many studies have been performed to test the hypothesis that these peptides have a pathophysiologic role in hypertension, it is only recently that evidence has been found of enhanced production of endothelin-1 in some models of hypertension, particularly in blood vessels in deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertensive rats. Vascular responses to endothelin-1 have been shown to be normal or depressed in many models of experimental hypertension, and also in humans with essential hypertension. Elevation of blood pressure and development of vascular hypertrophy is blunted in deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertensive rats treated chronically with endothelin receptor antagonists. Spontaneously hypertensive rats do not overexpress vascular endothelin, and do not exhibit a hypotensive response to chronic endothelin receptor antagonism. Malignant spontaneously hypertensive rats treated with deoxycorticosterone acetate and salt exhibit vascular overexpression of endothelin-1 and respond to endothelin antagonists with lowering of blood pressure. A genetic role of components of the endothelin system has been suggested in Dahl salt-sensitive rats. In human essential hypertension, there is as yet little evidence of activation of the endothelin system. A role of endothelins in hypertension is thus becoming increasingly apparent in severe forms of experimental hypertension, but further studies are required to establish whether these peptides are involved in the human disease.
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PMID:Endothelin in hypertension. 749 57

The purpose of this study was to characterize the receptor(s) and second messenger systems involved in prostacyclin (prostaglandin [PG] I2) synthesis elicited by endothelin (ET)-1 in the rat aorta. PGI2 synthesis, measured as immunoreactive 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, was assessed in aortic rings exposed to endothelin receptor agonists in the presence and absence of selective ETA and ETB receptor antagonists. ET-1, which has equal affinity for both endothelin receptor subtypes, and ET-3, a preferential ETB receptor agonist, enhanced 6-keto-PGF1 alpha synthesis in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. ET-1 was more potent than ET-3 in increasing 6-keto-PGF1 alpha synthesis. Moreover, the selective ETB receptor agonists IRL-1620 and sarafotoxin S6c did not significantly increase 6-keto-PGF1 alpha synthesis. Furthermore, ET-1-induced 6-keto-PGF1 alpha synthesis was attenuated by an ETA receptor antagonist, BQ-123, in a dose-dependent manner but not by an ETB receptor antagonist, BQ-788. Depletion of extracellular Ca2+ or addition of Ca2+ channel blockers (nifedipine, verapamil, SK&F 96365) attenuated ET-1-mediated 6-keto-PGF1 alpha synthesis, while a Ca2+ channel agonist, S(-)-Bay K 8644, potentiated this effect of ET-1. Selective protein kinase C inhibitors (bisindolylmaleimide I, calphostin C) did not alter ET-1-induced 6-keto-PGF1 alpha synthesis. These data suggest that PGI2 synthesis elicited by ET-1 in the rat aorta is mediated primarily through influx of extracellular Ca2+ via activation of an ETA receptor and is independent of protein kinase C.
Hypertension 1995 Dec
PMID:Prostacyclin synthesis elicited by endothelin-1 in rat aorta is mediated by an ETA receptor via influx of calcium and is independent of protein kinase C. 749 63

We studied the relevance of the ventrolateral medulla for the cardiovascular and respiratory effects of endothelin-1 in urethane-anesthetized rats. Microinjection of endothelin-1 into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) evoked pressor and bradycardic effects followed by sustained decreases in blood pressure, bradycardia, and respiratory depression. These effects were inhibited by endothelin-A receptor antagonists (BQ-123 and BQ-610) but not by endothelin-B antagonists. In the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM) endothelin-1 decreased blood pressure, renal sympathetic nerve activity, respiratory frequency, and phrenic nerve activity, whereas heart rate increased. Pretreatment with BQ-123 in the CVLM increased respiratory frequency by 15 +/- 6 breaths per minute and prevented the effects of intra-CVLM administration of endothelin-1. In separate experiments, the intracisternal administration of endothelin-1 (20 pmol) to rats pretreated with saline in both RVLM and CVLM resulted in a hypotensive and bradycardic phase that was followed by hypertension (50 +/- 15 mm Hg), bradycardia, and 100% mortality. In a separate group, pretreatment with BQ-123 in the RVLM and CVLM completely inhibited the hypotensive phase and reduced by 83% the subsequent rise in blood pressure evoked by endothelin-1. Cardiorespiratory arrest was prevented in all the rats in this group. Selective endothelin receptor blockade in the RVLM attenuated the hypertensive period of intracisternal administration of endothelin-1 and prevented mortality by 33%, whereas in the CVLM the endothelin receptor antagonist inhibited the initial hypotension and reduced mortality by 25%. Our results support the concept that in the ventral medulla, endothelin-1 can modulate cardiovascular and respiratory function.
Hypertension 1995 Aug
PMID:Cardiovascular and respiratory effects of endothelin in the ventrolateral medulla of the normotensive rat. 763 33

We tested the hypothesis that responses of the basilar artery to selective activation of endothelin-B receptors are altered during chronic hypertension. Using a cranial window in anesthetized rats, we examined responses of the basilar artery to a selective endothelin-B receptor agonist, IRL 1620, in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). Under control conditions, baseline basilar artery diameter was smaller in SHRSP (196 +/- 8 microns [mean +/- SEM]) than in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) (245 +/- 9 microns, P < .05). Topical application of IRL 1620 (10(-8) mol/L) dilated the basilar artery by 27 +/- 5% in WKY and 56 +/- 4% in SHRSP (P < .05). Dilatation of the basilar artery in response to sodium nitroprusside was similar in WKY and SHRSP. In contrast, acetylcholine-induced vasodilatation in SHRSP was markedly impaired. NG-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and NG-nitro-L-arginine, inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase, inhibited IRL 1620-induced vasodilatation in WKY. Neither NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester nor indomethacin attenuated vasodilatation produced by IRL 1620 in SHRSP. The major finding is that dilator responses of the basilar artery to selective activation of endothelin-B receptors are paradoxically enhanced in SHRSP compared with WKY. Dilator responses of the basilar artery to endothelin-B receptor activation are mediated by endothelium-derived relaxing factor in WKY. In contrast, responses to activation of endothelin receptors in SHRSP do not depend on the production of nitric oxide or prostanoids.
Hypertension 1995 Apr
PMID:Enhanced responses of the basilar artery to activation of endothelin-B receptors in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats. 772 88


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