title: Constitutive stimulation of vascular smooth muscle cells by angiotensin II derived from an adenovirus encoding a furin-cleavable fusion protein.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To fill the gap between acute and chronic stimulation methods of angiotensin II (Ang II) and obtain relevant signaling information, we have made an adenovirus vector encoding a furin-cleavable Ang II fusion protein.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were infected with adenovirus to evaluate Ang II production. Also, expression of early growth response-1 (Egr-1) and hypertrophic responses were examined in VSMCs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute stimulation of VSMCs with synthetic Ang II showed the peptide had a half-life of less than 1 h. Infection of VSMCs with Ang II adenovirus showed a time-dependent production of Ang II as early as 2 days and up to 7 days postinfection. The Ang II adenovirus induced VSMC hypertrophy, stimulated Egr-1 expression, and suppressed Ang II type 1 receptor mRNA expression. Chronic Ang II infusion in mice for 2 weeks markedly enhanced Egr-1 immunostaining in carotid artery compared with the control saline infusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Application of the Ang II adenovirus vector to cultured cells will be useful to elucidate molecular and signaling mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases associated with enhanced Ang II production.
authors: Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Physiology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors: Takehiko
authors: T
authors: Takayanagi
authors: Allison M
authors: AM
authors: Bourne
authors: Keita
authors: K
authors: Kimura
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Takaguri
authors: Katherine J
authors: KJ
authors: Elliott
authors: Kunie
authors: K
authors: Eguchi
authors: Satoru
authors: S
authors: Eguchi
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D045683:Furin / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: C497325:EGR1 protein, human; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D000804:Angiotensin II; D045683:Furin