title: Angiotensin II dependent cardiac remodeling in the eel Anguilla anguilla involves the NOS/NO system.
abstract: Angiotensin II (AngII), the principal effector of the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS), plays an important role in controlling mammalian cardiac morpho-functional remodelling. In the eel Anguilla anguilla, one month administration of AngII improves cardiac performance and influences the expression and localization of molecules which regulate cell growth. To deeper investigate the morpho-functional chronic influences of AngII on the eel heart and the molecular mechanisms involved, freshwater eels (A. anguilla) were intraperitoneally injected for 2 months with AngII (1 nmol g BW-1). Then the isolated hearts were subjected to morphological and western blotting analyses, and nitrite measurements. If compared to control animals, the ventricle of AngII-treated hearts showed an increase in compacta thickness, vascularization, muscle mass and fibrosis. Structural changes were paralleled by a higher expression of AT2receptor and a negative modulation of the ERK1-2pathway, together with a decrease in nitrite concentration, indicative of a reduced Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS)-dependent NO production. Moreover, immunolocalization revealed, particularly on the endocardial endothelium (EE) of AngII-treated hearts, a significant reduction of phosphorylated NOS detected by peNOS antibody accompanied by an increased expression of the eNOS disabling protein NOSTRIN, and a decreased expression of the positive regulators of NOS activity, pAkt and Hsp90. On the whole, results suggest that, in the eel, AngII modulates cardiac morpho-functional plasticity by influencing the molecular mechanisms that control NOS activity and the ERK1-2pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (B.E.ST), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariacristina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filice
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (B.E.ST), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Amelio
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (B.E.ST), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Garofalo
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neuroscience, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: David
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neuroscience, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fucarino
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Frank Bo
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (B.E.ST), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy. Electronic address: sandra.imbrogno@unical.it.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imbrogno
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (B.E.ST), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy. Electronic address: maria_carmela.cerra@unical.it.
authors.forename: Maria Carmela
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cerra
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000811:Anguilla / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000502:physiology; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin / Q000378:metabolism; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; D009573:Nitrites; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin; D000804:Angiotensin II; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D003094:Collagen; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3
keywords: AT(2) receptor; ERK(1-2); Hsp90; Myocardial growth; NOSTRIN