title: Vascular thrombin receptor regulation in hypertensive rats.
abstract: Thrombin has been implicated as an important mediator of vascular lesion formation in atherosclerosis and restenosis. To investigate a potential role for thrombin signaling in the vascular response to hypertension, we have studied thrombin receptor (TR) expression and regulation in hypertensive rats. Aortic TR mRNA was upregulated by angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension (10.7 +/- 2.5 times control, P < .02), which correlated with a 4-fold increase in thrombin-induced constriction in isolated endothelium-denuded aortic rings. The AT1 receptor antagonist losartan normalized blood pressure and TR mRNA. Conversely, lowering blood pressure to the same degree with hydralazine did not abolish the upregulation of TR mRNA expression. When low-renin low-Ang II hypertension was induced in Dahl salt-sensitive rats, there was no detectable increase in the expression of aortic thrombin receptor mRNA. Finally, treatment with a chimeric heparin-binding form of the recombinant human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase caused complete inhibition of TR mRNA upregulation, suggesting that an increased rate of superoxide anion production is an important signaling mechanism. Thus, increased TR expression via a redox-sensitive mechanism in the aortic smooth muscle of rats treated with Ang II represents a novel in vivo mechanism through which the hypertensive effects of Ang II are mediated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Capers
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Laursen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajagopalan
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Berrington
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Griendling
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Runge
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains / Q000235:genetics; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D013599:Systole; D013917:Thrombin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin; D013481:Superoxides; D000804:Angiotensin II; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013917:Thrombin