Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0406810 (NAME)
 13,345 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

This study was done to investigate the mechanisms that underly the changes of renal renin gene expression upon hypoperfusion of one kidney. To this end the left renal arteries of male Sprague-Dawley rats were clipped with 0.2 mm silver clips and renal renin mRNA levels were assayed by RNase protection during the first ten days after clipping. Unilateral reduction of renal blood flow led to transient maximal fivefold increases of renin mRNA levels in the clipped kidneys and to sustained suppression of renin gene expression to 20% of the control value in the contralateral intact kidneys. Inhibition of prostaglandin (PG) formation by meclofenamate or EDRF synthesis by L-NAME markedly attenuated the increase of renin mRNA levels in response to clipping, and a combination of PG/EDRF inhibition almost abolished the increase of renin mRNA levels. Inhibition of PG/EDRF formation did not change the suppression of renin mRNA levels in the contralateral intact kidneys. Neither did renal denervation nor inhibition of macula densa function by furosemide prevent the suppression of renin gene expression in response to unilateral renal artery clipping. Only converting enzyme inhibition by ramipril and blockade of Ang II-AT1 receptors by losartan attenuated the decrease of renin mRNA levels in the contralaterals to clipped kidneys. These findings suggest that intact PG and EDRF synthesis represent stimulatory signals for renin gene expression that are required for the elevation of renin mRNA levels upon unilateral renal hypoperfusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Control of renin gene expression in 2 kidney-1 clip rats. 770

In the present study, we examined whether the human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-I) gp120 coat protein can modulate corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) secretion by using the incubation of rat hypothalamic explants as an in vitro model. Treatment of the hypothalamic fragments with recombinant gp120 resulted in a time- and concentration-dependent increase in CRF release. The maximal dose of 10 nM gp120 increased CRF release by 56.4% after 1 h, and 78.4% after 3 h, as compared with their respective controls. The intra-hypothalamic amount of CRF was also increased by 54.7% and 77.3% vs. controls after 1 and 3 h, respectively. Moreover, the action of gp120 was blocked by pretreatment with cycloheximide, suggesting that the viral protein modulates CRF secretion via an increase in its synthesis. We also investigated the effects of gp120 on CRF gene expression. RNase protection analyses of total RNA isolated from the explants indicated that 10 nM gp120 significantly increases CRF mRNA in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, gp120 did not modify CRF mRNA stability, suggesting that the viral protein modulates CRF gene expression at the transcriptional level. Analysis of the mechanisms that mediate gp120-induced CRF synthesis was conducted. The incubation of the explants with recombinant interleukin-1 (IL-1) type I receptor antagonist (hrIL-1 ra) did not antagonize the actions of gp120 at 1 and 3 h, indicating that the effect of the latter is independent of IL-1 mediated mechanisms. The involvement of some second messenger pathways was also investigated. Specific inhibitors of cAMP-PKA, cyclo-oxygenase or heme oxygenase pathways failed to antagonize the gp120-induced increase in CRF production. By contrast, incubation with nonselective inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), L-NAME and L-NNA, or aminoguanidine (AG), a selective inhibitor of inducible NOS (iNOS), blocked CRF release and, AG, its mRNA accumulation, stimulated by gp120, whereas selective inhibitors of endothelial and neuronal NOS had no effect. In addition, only L-NAME, L-NNA and AG were able to inhibit the gp120-stimulated production of nitrites. These results indicate that gp120 directly stimulates CRF gene expression and peptide synthesis from the rat hypothalamus in vitro via the activation of iNOS. Therefore, the actions of this viral protein on the HPA axis may, in part, reflect its ability to modulate CRF synthesis.
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PMID:HIV-1 Gp120 protein modulates corticotropin releasing factor synthesis and release via the stimulation of its mRNA from the rat hypothalamus in vitro: involvement of inducible nitric oxide synthase. 1149 61

Nitric oxide (NO) derived from endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) is a powerful vasodilator and possesses vasoprotective effects. Therefore, augmentation of eNOS expression and -activity by pharmacological means could provide protection against cardiovascular disease. However, this concept has been questioned recently, because in several disease models, eNOS upregulation was associated with a dysfunctional enzyme (referred to as eNOS uncoupling). In contrast, the present study demonstrates that an eNOS gene expression-enhancing compound with additional protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitory properties can upregulate eNOS while preserving its enzymatic function. Apolipoprotein E-knockout mice were treated for 7 days with midostaurin (4'-N-benzoyl staurosporine, compound CGP 41251, 50-125 mg/kg/day), a PKC inhibitor previously shown to increase eNOS expression and NO production in cultured human endothelial cells. Midostaurin treatment enhanced eNOS mRNA expression (RNase protection assay) in mouse aorta, kidney, and heart in a dose-dependent fashion. In the dorsal skinfold microcirculation, midostaurin produced an arteriolar vasorelaxation (intravital microscopy), which could be prevented by the NOS inhibitor L-NAME, indicating that the upregulated eNOS remained functional. In organ chamber experiments, the aorta from midostaurin-treated mice showed an enhanced NO-mediated relaxation in response to acetylcholine. Accordingly, serum levels of nitrite/nitrate (NO-Analyzer) were increased, and the production of reactive oxygen species in the aorta (L-012 chemiluminescence) was reduced by midostaurin. Thus, in mice in vivo, midostaurin treatment results in enhanced expression of eNOS with preserved enzyme function and enhanced production of bioactive NO. Given the beneficial effects of endothelial-derived NO, vasoprotective and anti-atherosclerotic effects are likely to ensue.
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PMID:Midostaurin upregulates eNOS gene expression and preserves eNOS function in the microcirculation of the mouse. 1589 May 50