title: Regulation of renin release by connexin 43 in As 4.1 cell line.
abstract: Gap junction channels facilitate chemical and electrical communication between adjacent cells. Gap junction protein, connexin (Cx), is expressed in the endothelial cells of vessels, glomerulus, and renin-secreting cells of the kidney. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Cx in renin release using Cx-overexpressing As 4.1 cells. The adenovirus-induced Cx overexpression was conducted by using recombinant adenovirus containing the cDNA encoding Cx37, Cx40, Cx43 (Ad-Cx), and beta-galactosidase (Ad-beta-gal). In 40-overexpressing cells, basal renin release increased in a time-dependent manner but it was significantly lower than that in Ad-beta-gal-treated cells. In Cx37- and Cx43-overexpressing cells, basal renin release was increased in a time-dependent manner, which was not different from control cells. 18-beta glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), a gap junction blocker, stimulated renin release dose-dependently and increased intracellular Ca(2+) in both Cx43-overexpressing cells and control cells. However, no significant differences were observed. An increase in renin release by 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid 8-(diethylamino)-octyl ester, a putative antagonist of Ca(2+) release from intracellular sequestration sites, was also similar between two groups. These results suggest that Cx43 may unlikely alter the regulation of renin release and intracellular Ca(2+) by gap junction blocker in As 4.1 cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Diabetic Research Center, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Kyung-Ah
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Amin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Byung Hyun
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Woo Hyun
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Suhn Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017630:Connexins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005470:Fluorometry; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000187:drug effects; D006034:Glycyrrhetinic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D012083:Renin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000097003:Gap Junction alpha-5 Protein; D000097006:Gap Junction alpha-4 Protein
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium; D018031:Connexin 43; D017630:Connexins; D006034:Glycyrrhetinic Acid; D012083:Renin; D000097003:Gap Junction alpha-5 Protein; D000097006:Gap Junction alpha-4 Protein