title: Cytokine-mediated downregulation of vasopressin V(1A) receptors during acute endotoxemia in rats.
abstract: The reduced pressure response to vasopressin during acute sepsis has directed our interest to the regulation of vasopressin V(1A) receptors. Rats were injected with lipopolysaccharide for induction of experimental gram-negative sepsis. V(1A) receptor gene expression was downregulated in the liver, lung, kidney, and heart during endotoxemia. Inasmuch as the concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interferon-gamma were highly increased during sepsis, the influence of these cytokines on V(1A) receptor expression was investigated in primary cultures of hepatocytes and in the aortic vascular smooth muscle cell line A7r5. V(1A) receptor expression was downregulated by the cytokines in a nitric oxide-independent manner. Blood pressure dose-response studies after injection of endotoxin showed a diminished responsiveness to the selective V(1) receptor agonist Phe(2),Ile(3),Orn(8)-vasopressin. Our data show that sepsis causes a downregulation of V(1A) receptors and suggest that this effect is likely mediated by proinflammatory cytokines. We propose that this downregulation of V(1A) receptors contributes to the attenuated responsiveness of blood pressure in response to vasopressin and, therefore, contributes to the circulatory failure in septic shock.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Regensburg, 93042 Regensburg, Germany. michael.bucher@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bucher
authors.forename: Jonny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hobbhahn
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taeger
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurtz
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D019446:Endotoxemia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007375:Interleukin-1; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester