RESUMO
BACKGROUND: We hypothesised that the potential protective effects of endothelial ET(B) are important in limiting pulmonary vascular muscularisation, vasoconstriction and the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension in response to hypoxia. METHODS: EC-specific ET(B) knockout mice (EC ET(B)(-/-)) and control mice (ET(B)(f/f)) were subjected to hypobaric hypoxic (10% FiO2) or normoxic conditions for 14 days before assessment of right ventricular pressure and pulmonary vascular morphology and function. RESULTS: During normoxia, no difference in right ventricular pressure was detected between EC ET(B)(-/-) (23.7 +/- 1.7 mm Hg) and ET(B)(f/f) mice (20.2 +/- 1.5 mm Hg). Hypoxia induced an exaggerated increase in right ventricular pressure in EC ET(B)(-/-) mice (34.4 +/- 1.2 mm Hg vs. 24.6 +/- 1.4 mm Hg), accompanied by an increase in right ventricular mass. No effect was observed in ET(B)(f/f) mice. Endothelin-1 constricted pulmonary arteries from both groups, although maximum response was similar irrespective of inspired oxygen or genotype. Hypoxia increased the percentage of muscularised vessels in both groups of mice, but the percentage increase was significantly greater in EC ET(B)(-/-) mice. CONCLUSIONS: The potential protective effects of endothelial ET(B) are important in limiting pulmonary vascular muscularisation and the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension in response to hypoxia.
Assuntos
Endotelina-1/metabolismo , Endotélio Vascular/metabolismo , Hipertensão Pulmonar/prevenção & controle , Hipóxia/metabolismo , Músculo Liso Vascular/metabolismo , Artéria Pulmonar/metabolismo , Receptor de Endotelina B/metabolismo , Animais , Pressão Sanguínea , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Endotélio Vascular/fisiopatologia , Hipertensão Pulmonar/etiologia , Hipertensão Pulmonar/metabolismo , Hipertensão Pulmonar/fisiopatologia , Hipertrofia Ventricular Direita/etiologia , Hipertrofia Ventricular Direita/metabolismo , Hipertrofia Ventricular Direita/prevenção & controle , Hipóxia/complicações , Hipóxia/fisiopatologia , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Músculo Liso Vascular/fisiopatologia , Artéria Pulmonar/fisiopatologia , Receptor de Endotelina B/deficiência , Receptor de Endotelina B/genética , Vasoconstrição , Pressão VentricularRESUMO
Inactivation of endothelin B receptors (ETB), either through selective pharmacological antagonism or genetic mutation, increases the circulating concentration of endothelin-1 (ET-1), suggesting ETB plays an important role in clearance of this peptide. However, the cellular site of ETB-mediated clearance has not yet been determined. We have used a novel mouse model of endothelial cell-specific knockout (KO) of ETB (EC ETB(-/-)) to evaluate the relative contribution of EC-ETB to the clearance of ET-1. Phenotypic evidence of EC-specific ETB KO was confirmed by immunocytochemistry and autoradiography. Binding of the radiolabelled selective ETB ligand BQ3020 was significantly and selectively decreased in EC-rich tissues of EC ETB(-/-) mice, including the lung, liver, and kidney. By contrast, ETA binding was unaltered. RT-PCR confirmed equal expression of ET-1 in tissue from EC ETB(-/-) mice and controls, despite increased concentration of plasma ET-1 in EC ETB(-/-). Clearance of an intravenous bolus of [(125)I]ET-1 was impaired in EC ETB(-/-) mice. Pretreatment with the selective ETB antagonist A192621 impaired [(125)I]ET-1 clearance in control animals to a similar extent, but did not further impair clearance in EC ETB(-/-) mice. These studies suggest that EC-ETB are largely responsible for the clearance of ET-1 from the circulation.