title: Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and expression in rat central nervous system after sleep deprivation.
abstract: Proteases are essential either for the release of neuropeptides from active or inactive proteins or for their inactivation. Neuropeptides have a fundamental role in sleep-wake cycle regulation and their actions are also likely to be regulated by proteolytic processing. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer substrates, specific protease inhibitors and real-time PCR we demonstrate changes in angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) expression and proteolytic activity in the central nervous system in an animal model of paradoxical sleep deprivation during 96 h (PSD). Male rats were distributed into five groups (PSD, 24 h, 48 h and 96 h of sleep recovery after PSD and control). ACE activity and mRNA levels were measured in hypothalamus, hippocampus, brainstem, cerebral cortex and striatum tissue extracts. In the hypothalamus, the significant decrease in activity and mRNA levels, after PSD, was only totally reversed after 96 h of sleep recovery. In the brainstem and hippocampus, although significant, changes in mRNA do not parallel changes in ACE specific activity. Changes in ACE activity could affect angiotensin II generation, angiotensin 1-7, bradykinin and opioid peptides metabolism. ACE expression and activity modifications are likely related to some of the physiological changes (cardiovascular, stress, cognition, metabolism function, water and energy balance) observed during and after sleep deprivation.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Napole;atao de Barros, 925, 04024-002, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Visniauskas
authors.forename: Vitor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Adriana K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Carmona
authors.forename: Vânia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: D'Almeida
authors.forename: Robson L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: de Melo
authors.forename: Sérgio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tufik
authors.forename: Jair R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Chagas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D008297:Male; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A