title: ACE2 gene transfer attenuates hypertension-linked pathophysiological changes in the SHR.
abstract: Recently discovered, angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) is an important therapeutic target in the control of cardiovascular diseases as a result of its proposed central role in the control of angiotensin peptides. Thus our objective in the present study was to determine whether ACE2 gene transfer could decrease high blood pressure (BP) and would improve cardiac dysfunctions induced by hypertension in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) model. Five-day-old SHR and normotensive WKY rats received a single intracardiac bolus injection of lentiviral vector containing either murine ACE2 (ACE2) or control enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) genes. Systolic BP, cardiac functions, and perivascular fibrosis were evaluated 4 mo after ACE2 gene transduction. ACE2 gene transfer resulted in a significant attenuation of high BP in the SHR (149 +/- 2 mmHg in lenti-ACE2 vs. 180 +/- 9 mmHg in lenti-EGFP, P < 0.01). In contrast, no significant effect of lenti-ACE2 on BP of WKY rats was observed. Lenti-ACE2-treated SHR showed an 18% reduction in left ventricular wall thickness (1.52 +/- 0.04 vs. 1.86 +/- 0.04 mm in lenti-EGFP, P < 0.01). In addition, there was a 12% increase in left ventricular end diastolic and a 21% increase in end systolic diameters in lenti-ACE2-treated SHR. Finally, lenti-ACE2 treatment resulted in a significant attenuation of perivascular fibrosis in the SHR. In contrast, ACE2 gene transfer did not influence any of these parameters in WKY rats. These observations demonstrate that ACE2 overexpression exerts protective effects on high BP and cardiac pathophysiology induced by hypertension in the SHR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, College of Medicine, and Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Facility at the McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Díez-Freire
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.forename: María F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Correa de Adjounian
authors.forename: Merari F R
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Lihui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Xeve
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Silver
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Mohan K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Raizada
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000235:genetics; D000085962:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005355:Fibrosis; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051379:Mice; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000201:enzymology; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D014161:Transduction, Genetic
chemical_list: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; C000705328:Ace2 protein, mouse; C000705329:Ace2 protein, rat; D000085962:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2