title: Brain, heart and kidney correlate for the control of blood pressure and water balance: role of angiotensinases.
abstract: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a major role in the control of blood pressure (BP) and water balance by coordinating brain, heart and kidney functions, connected with each other by hormonal and neural mechanisms through the autonomic nervous system (ANS). RAS function may be monitored by the study of the enzymes (angiotensinases) involved in the metabolism of its active peptides. In order to study the relationship between the brain-heart-kidney axis and the control of BP and water balance, we analyzed the correlation of angiotensinase activities, assayed as arylamidase activities, between hypothalamus, left ventricle, renal cortex and renal medulla, collected from Wistar-Kyoto and spontaneously hypertensive rats, treated or not treated with L-NAME [N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester]. This compound not only inhibits the formation of nitric oxide but also disrupts the normal function of the ANS activating the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) to increase BP. In addition, to assess the influence of the SNS, we studied the effect of its blockade by treatment of both strains with propranolol. The present results support the notion that RAS function of the brain-heart-kidney axis, as reflected by the activities of angiotensinases, is reciprocally connected by afferent and efferent mechanisms between these locations, presumably through the ANS. These results reveal new aspects of neuroendocrine regulation possibly involving the ANS.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Physiology, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: Ana B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Villarejo
authors.forename: Ana B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Segarra
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Banegas
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wangensteen
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinez-Cañamero
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Gasparo
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vives
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Sánchez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; C076819:angiotensinase; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D011433:Propranolol; D010450:Endopeptidases; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester