Angiotensin-(1-7) binding at angiotensin II receptors in the rat brain.

Angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7)) is reported to be equipotent with angiotensin II (AII) in producing some central biological effects but the receptors responsible for these actions have not been defined. Three classes of receptor have been proposed: AT1, AT2, and a putative Ang-(1-7) selective receptor. This study specifically evaluates Ang-(1-7) competition at AII binding sites (AT1 and AT2) in the rat brain. 125I Sar1 Ile8 AII (269-312 pM) was used to conduct receptor autoradiographic binding assays in brain sections. Competition with Ile5 AII and Val5 AII was similar at nuclei in which either AT1 or AT2 receptor subtypes predominate (Ki = 11-18 nM). Ang-(1-7) competed 150-fold less effectively than native AII at AT1 predominant brain nuclei (Ki = 2.4 microM). At brain regions where AT2 receptors predominate, Ang-(1-7) showed a very low affinity (Ki = 104 microM) for the majority of the 125I Sar1 Ile8 AII binding sites (AT2). A small proportion of 125I Sar1 Ile8 AII binding sites showed an affinity of 2.0 microM, presumably AT1 receptors present in those brain regions. For biological responses where Ang-(1-7) is reported to be equipotent with AII, it is unlikely that these actions are mediated by the widely distributed AT1 or AT2 receptor subtypes which recognize 125I Sar1 Ile8 AII.

Effects of peptidase inhibitors on binding at angiotensin receptor subtypes in the rat brain.

Sulfhydryl reducing agents affect angiotensin II (AII) receptor binding differentially at AT1 and AT2 sites. Consequently, sulfhydryl reducing agents are now used infrequently in AII receptor binding assays. In this regard, the present autoradiographic study evaluates the effects of additional peptidase inhibitors on AII receptor binding and radioligand integrity. EDTA at 5 mM enhanced binding similarly, by about 70%, at both AT1 and AT2 binding sites, whereas bacitracin (10(-4) M) did not affect binding at either site. In contrast, addition of phenanthroline and bovine serum albumin (BSA) increased binding at AT1 sites 2.3-fold, whereas binding at AT2 sites was affected minimally. Degradation of 125I-[Sar1,Ile8]-AII (125I-SIAII) was determined by HPLC analysis of samples before and after incubation with tissue in each buffer. Omission of bacitracin from buffers reduced the recovery of intact radioligand to 83-87%, while recovery exceeded 94% in the presence or absence of all other buffer constituents. These results suggest that degradation of 125I-SIAII is minimal in large volume in vitro receptor autoradiography studies of rat brain AII receptors. Further, the beneficial effects on radioligand binding caused by buffer constituents such as EDTA, phenanthroline, and BSA were not due to their ability to protect the radioligand from enzymatic degradation. Because these constituents (and possibly others) had differential effects on binding with respect to receptor subtypes, caution should be used when interpreting or comparing binding data obtained from various laboratories utilizing different buffer components.

Angiotensin II binding sites in the hamster brain: localization and subtype distribution.

This study was designed to characterize the distribution of angiotensin II (AII) binding sites in the hamster brain. Brain sections were incubated with [125I][sar1,ile8]-angiotensin II in the absence and presence of angiotensin II receptor subtype selective compounds, losartan (AT1 subtype) and PD123177 (AT2 subtype). Binding was quantified by densitometric analysis of autoradiograms and localized by comparison with adjacent thionein stained sections. The distribution of AII binding sites was similar to that found in the rat, with some exceptions. [125I][sar1,ile8]-angiotensin II binding was not evident in the subthalamic nucleus and thalamic regions, inferior olive, suprachiasmatic nucleus, and piriform cortex of the hamster, regions of prominent binding in the rat brain. However, intense binding was observed in the interpeduncular nucleus and the medial habenula of the hamster, nuclei void of binding in the rat brain. Competition with receptor subtype selective compounds revealed a similar AII receptor subtype profile in brain regions where binding is evident in both species. One notable exception is the medial geniculate nucleus, predominately AT1 binding sites in the hamster but AT2 in the rat. Generally, the AII binding site distribution in the hamster brain parallels that of the other species studied, particularly in brain regions associated with cardiovascular and dipsogenic functions. Functional correlates for AII binding sites have not been elucidated in the majority of brain regions and species mismatches might provide clues in this regard.

Analysis of angiotensin II receptor subtypes in individual rat brain nuclei.

Previous studies have used new angiotensin II (AII) receptor subtype selective compounds to localize AII receptor subtypes within discrete rat brain nuclei. The purpose of this autoradiographic study was to extend these preliminary findings and provide a comprehensive analysis of AII binding sites in 22 rat brain nuclei and the anterior pituitary, to include estimates of the binding affinity for 125I sar1 ile8 AII (125I SIAII) at each nucleus, and determine the fractional distribution of each subtype at each nucleus. Estimates of KD in separate experiments revealed that AT1 nuclei had a consistently higher affinity for 125I SIAII than AT2 nuclei (0.66 vs. 2.55 nM). Displacement of subsaturating concentrations of 125I SIAII by 10(-8)-10(-4) M DuP753 (selective for the AT1 subtype) or PD123177 (selective for the AT2 subtype) indicated that approximately half of the brain regions surveyed contained predominantly AT1 sites and half contained predominantly AT2 sites. Binding was partially displaced by both compounds in several regions and two site analyses were performed to estimate the distribution of subtypes within each nucleus. The data were then corrected for differential occupancy by 125I SIAII. Brain nuclei associated with cardiovascular or dipsogenic actions of AII, e.g., subfornical organ, organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, median preoptic nucleus, nucleus of the solitary tract and area postrema, contained pure, or almost pure, populations of AT1 receptors. The functions of AII in brain regions containing predominantly AT2 binding sites, e.g., thalamus, colliculi, inferior olive and locus ceruleus, remain undefined. Thus, AII binding sites in the rat brain have been differentiated into two subtypes with similar characteristics to those reported in peripheral tissues. However, the unexpected finding that they can be differentiated on the basis of their affinity for 125I SIAII raises questions concerning their coidentity with peripheral receptor subtypes.

Discrimination of angiotensin II receptor subtype distribution in the rat brain using non-peptidic receptor antagonists.

The non-peptidic angiotensin II receptor subtype selective antagonists, DuP 753 and PD123177, were used to characterize angiotensin II receptor binding sites in the rat brain. Competitive receptor autoradiography with 125I-Sar1-Ile8 angiotensin II defined a regional distribution of binding sites that were sensitive to either DuP 753 (designated AII alpha subtype) or PD123177 (designated AII beta subtype). Whereas most brain nuclei could be assigned to a category containing a predominant subtype, a multiple receptor subtype analysis indicated that some regions are homogeneous, while others contain a mixture of both AII alpha and AII beta subtypes.

Novel angiotensin II binding sites in the mesopontine area of the rat brain.

Angiotensin II (AII) immunoreactivity in the mesopontine area of the rat brain is distributed through several areas where co-localization of AII receptors has not been established. The current in vitro receptor autoradiography study re-examined the distribution of AII binding using 125I-Sar1,Ile8-AII ([125I]SIAII). When incubations were conducted without sulfhydryl reducing agents, [125I]SIAII binding was observed in the locus coeruleus, inferior colliculus, superior colliculus and the central gray in agreement with previous reports. Novel [125I]SIAII binding sites were detected in the parabrachial nucleus, pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus and the caudal linear raphe nucleus, corresponding with previously reported localization of AII immunoreactivity in these nuclei. [125I]SIAII binding was also found in the paragenual nucleus where the peptide has not been detected. Thus, the observation of novel AII receptors which are sensitive to sulfhydryl reducing agents, resolves several AII-AII receptor mismatches.

Angiotensin II receptor subtypes in the rat brain.

The non-peptide angiotensin II (AII) receptor subtype selective antagonist, DuP 753, was used to characterize AII receptor binding sites in the rat brain. DuP 753 competed for specific 125I-[Sar1,Ile8]AII (125I-SIAII) binding in many brain nuclei (IC50 = 20-30 nM), but was a weak competitor at remaining sites (IC50 greater than 10(-4) M). DuP 753 sensitive binding sites (designated AII alpha subtype) correspond with areas where binding is inhibited by sulfhydryl reducing agents, whereas DuP 753 insensitive sites (AII beta) correspond with areas where binding is not inhibited by sulfhydryl reducing agents.