title: Chronic vasopeptidase inhibition restores endothelin-converting enzyme activity and normalizes endothelin levels in salt-induced hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vasopeptidase inhibition (VPI) represents a new therapeutic principle including both inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and neutral endopeptidase (NEP). The present study investigated the effect of the vasopeptidase inhibitor omapatrilat on endothelin-1 (ET-1)-mediated vascular function in salt-induced hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dahl salt-sensitive rats (n=6/group) on standard or salt-enriched (4% NaCl) chow were treated for 8 weeks with either omapatrilat (36+/-4 mg/kg/day), captopril (94+/-2 mg/kg/day) or placebo. Aortic and renal artery segments were isolated and suspended in organ chambers for isometric tension recording. Functional endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE) activity was assessed in native segments and after preincubation with omapatrilat. Furthermore, vascular ECE protein levels as well as plasma and tissue ET-1 levels were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The increase in systolic blood pressure of salt-fed rats was prevented by omapatrilat and captopril to a comparable degree. In salt-induced hypertension, functional ECE activity (calculated as the ratio of the contraction to big ET-1 divided by the contraction to ET-1) in renal arteries (0.46+/-0.05) and in aorta (0.68+/-0.05) was reduced as compared with control animals (0.9+/-0.05 and 0.99+/-0.04, respectively; P<0.05). While omapatrilat in vitro blunted the response to big endothelin-1 (big ET-1) and diminished ECE activity further (P<0.01 vs native segments), chronic treatment with omapatrilat in vivo restored contractions to ET-1 (120+/-6%) and big ET-1 (98+/-9%) in renal arteries, and therefore normalized renovascular ECE activity. In addition, omapatrilat normalized plasma ET-1 concentrations (12.9+/-1.2 vs 16.6+/-1.4 pg/ml on high salt diet; P<0.05) and renovascular ECE protein levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In salt-induced hypertension, vasopeptidase inhibition restores alterations in the endothelin system, such as renovascular ECE activity and responsiveness to ET-1 and big ET-1 with chronic but not acute in vitro application. Thus, the beneficial effects of vasopeptidase inhibition may reflect a resetting of cardiovascular control systems and therefore may be particularly suited to treat hypertension and heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research, Institute of Physiology, University of Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Quaschning
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: d'Uscio
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Viswambharan
authors.forename: F T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Ruschitzka
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Lüscher
mesh_terms: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism; D002216:Captopril / Q000494:pharmacology; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016232:Endothelins / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D020303:Rats, Inbred Dahl; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000378:metabolism; D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D013841:Thiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D019332:Endothelin-1; D016232:Endothelins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011725:Pyridines; D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D013841:Thiazepines; C106266:omapatrilat; D002216:Captopril; C492358:Ecel1 protein, rat; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; D015260:Neprilysin