Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 controls blood pressure by regulating nitric oxide synthase expression.
Drugs and antibodies that interrupt vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathways improve outcomes in patients with a variety of cancers by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. A major adverse effect of these treatments is hypertension, suggesting a critical role for VEGF in blood pressure (BP) regulation. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying the control of BP by VEGF are unclear. To address this question, we administered a specific antibody against the major VEGF receptor, VEGFR2, to normal mice and assessed the consequences on BP. Compared with vehicle-treated controls, administration of the anti-VEGFR2 antibody caused a rapid and sustained increase in BP of approximately 10 mm Hg. This increase in BP was associated with a significant reduction in renin mRNA expression in the kidney (P=0.019) and in urinary excretion of aldosterone (P<0.05). Treatment with the anti-VEGFR2 antibody also caused a marked reduction in the expression of endothelial and neuronal NO synthases in the kidney. To examine the role of NO in the hypertension caused by blocking VEGFR2, mice were treated with N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (20 mg/kg per day), an inhibitor of NO production. L-NAME administration abolished the difference in BP between the vehicle- and anti-VEGFR2-treated groups. Our data suggest that VEGF, acting via VEGFR2, plays a critical role in BP control by promoting NO synthase expression and NO activity. Interfering with this pathway is likely to be one mechanism underlying hypertension caused by antiangiogenic agents targeting VEGF.
Facemire
Carie S
CS
Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, 106 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Nixon
Andrew B
AB
Griffiths
Robert
R
Hurwitz
Herbert
H
Coffman
Thomas M
TM
D000450:Aldosterone / Q000652:urine; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006825:Hybridomas; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D051379:Mice; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000652:urine; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012083:Renin / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000502:physiology; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011453:Prostaglandins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000450:Aldosterone; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2; D012083:Renin; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester