Characterization of angiotensin receptors on human skin fibroblasts.

Angiotensin II is involved in blood pressure regulation, cell growth and angioneogenesis. The angiotensin receptors which mediate the intracellular effects of angiotensin II are expressed in numerous tissues and cell types. We studied the expression of angiotensin II receptors in cultured human skin fibroblasts derived from a skin biopsy. Angiotensin II binding characteristics were analyzed by radioligand binding assays. The DNA synthesis was assessed by [H]thymidine incorporation assays. Intracellular calcium concentrations were measured by fura-2 spectrofluorometry, and mRNA expression levels were analyzed by northern blot technology. Two distinct angiotensin receptors were detectable on human skin fibroblasts: the AT1 receptor with Kd = 1.0 +/- 0.7 nmol/l and Bmax = 17.9 +/- 0.9 fmol/mg protein, and an angiotensin(1-7) binding site with Kd = 26 +/- 6.6 nmol/l and Bmax = 80.4 +/- 3.5 fmol/mg protein, as shown by competition binding assays using selective angiotensin II receptor antagonists and the heptapeptide angiotensin(1-7). The angiotensin AT1 receptor mRNA was substantially expressed in human skin fibroblasts and was subjected to homologous downregulation. In human skin fibroblasts angiotensin II caused a profound increase in intracellular calcium which was blocked by angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonists such as Exp-3174. Furthermore, both angiotension II and angiotensin(1-7) led to increased DNA synthesis in human skin fibroblasts. In conclusion, cultured human skin fibroblasts express angiotensin AT1 receptors and a putatively new angiotensin receptor activated by angiotensin(1-7), both coupled to signaling pathways involved in DNA synthesis.

Reliability of non-invasively acquired human genomic DNA as a substrate for real-time PCR-assisted analysis of genetic polymorphisms.

Molecular epidemiological studies require high numbers of participants. The combination of an non-invasive access to human DNA with a rapid genotyping analysis, e.g. by use of LightCycler assisted real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), can be helpful in conducting such trials. The aim of our study was to define, for the first time, the use of LightCycler technology in analysis of non-invasively derived DNA. DNA extracted from blood, mouthwash and buccal cytobrush samples from 100 volunteers was analyzed for the genotypes of cytochrome P450 CYP1B1, and glutathione S-transferases GSTT1, GSTM1 and GSTP1. The median amounts of DNA isolated from blood, mouthwash and buccal cytobrush samples were 95, 11 and 8 microg, respectively. While genotyping for CYP1B1 codon 432 polymorphism and GSTP1 codon 105 polymorphism resulted in a complete correspondence for all three modes of sampling, the identification of individuals with null-genotype for GSTT1 or GSTM1 failed in some cases due to atypical courses of the corresponding melting curves, leading to high false-positive rates in the group of non-invasively derived samples. Thus, the results presented here call for caution in using LightCycler assisted real-time PCR in non-invasively collected samples, at least when appropriate control strategies are not implemented.