Does captopril have a direct pro-apoptotic effect?
The beneficial effect of ACE inhibitors on cardiovascular remodelling from hypertension and ischemic disease may be due to the effect of these drugs on the proliferation/cell death balance. We therefore investigated the effect of the addition of captopril in vitro, on the onset of apoptosis in human vascular myocytes, by using a propidium iodide fluorescence analysis and a morphological analysis using the acridine orange technique. Captopril (0.23 mM) caused an increase in apoptotic phenomena that was more than 3. 5-fold than in controls both at the 24th (7.7 vs. 2%) and the 48th h (10.1 vs. 3.8%). The addition of propranolol strengthened the effect on apoptosis. The induction of apoptotic phenomena may be a mechanism by which ACE inhibitors affect cardiovascular remodelling and it might also explain the favorable effect these drugs have on diseases such as IgA nephropathy and diabetic nephropathy.
Buemi
M
M
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Messina, Italy.
Allegra
A
A
Marino
D
D
Marino
M T
MT
Medici
M A
MA
De Pasquale
G
G
Ruello
A
A
Corica
F
F
Frisina
N
N
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002216:Captopril / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D002216:Captopril; D011433:Propranolol