title: Transcriptional regulation of calcium-activated neutral protease in cardiomyocytes of hypertensive rats.
abstract: Increased enzymatic activity of calcium-activated neutral protease II (CANP II) has been reported previously in cardiac tissues of rats with 2 kidney, 1 clip Goldblatt hypertension (2K, 1C-HT); this was associated with elevated intracellular free Ca(++). Because it was suggested that increased levels of the enzyme were responsible for the enhanced activity, CANP II mRNA expression was assessed in cardiomyocytes isolated from 2K, 1C-HT rats and from a genetic model of hypertension, the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). Utilizing a rabbit probe for the large subunit of CANP II (pLM 1006 cDNA), a 3.7 kilobase mRNA band was visualized in Northern blots of poly A+ RNA. Densitometric analysis of the blots revealed that there was a significant (p < 0.005) increase in the levels of CANP II large subunit mRNA in cardiomyocytes of 2K, 1C-HT rats when compared with controls. Interestingly, CANP II mRNA levels were comparable in cardiomyocytes of SHR and Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. Results of nuclear runoff transcription assays indicated that enhanced expression of CANP II mRNA in 2K, 1C-HT rat hearts was regulated at the transcriptional level. The data support specific CANP II gene activation in the hearts of renal hypertensive rats.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grammas
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giacomelli
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiener