Increased renal expression of nitric oxide synthase and atrial natriuretic peptide in rats with glycyrrhizic-acid-induced hypertension.
The present study aimed to examine whether there is an altered regulation of local hormonal systems in the kidney following the treatment of glycyrrhizic acid (GA), the active ingredient in licorice. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with GA for 3 weeks. The expression of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) was determined in the kidney by immunoblotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The protein expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS) was determined. The expression of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR)-A and NPR-C was determined by real-time PCR. The activity of guanylyl cyclase was determined by the amount of cGMP generated in responses to sodium nitroprusside (SNP) or ANP. Following the GA treatment, systolic blood pressure was increased. The mRNA and protein expressions of MR were increased in the kidney. The protein expression of eNOS and iNOS was also increased. The expression of ANP mRNA was increased although that of NPR-A and NPR-C mRNA was not changed. The cGMP production provoked by either SNP or ANP was not changed. The increased expression of MR may contribute to GA-induced hypertension. The enhanced expression of NOS and ANP may play a compensatory role in GA-induced hypertension.
Ma
Seong Kwon
SK
Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
Bae
Eun Hui
EH
Kim
In Jin
IJ
Choi
Ki Chul
KC
Kim
Suhn Hee
SH
Lee
JongUn
J
Kim
Soo Wan
SW
D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017461:Receptors, Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D018161:Receptors, Mineralocorticoid / Q000378:metabolism
D018161:Receptors, Mineralocorticoid; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D017461:Receptors, Atrial Natriuretic Factor