Pharmacological Inhibition of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Attenuates Deoxycorticosterone Acetate Salt-Induced Hypertension and Related Pathophysiology: Regulation of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Cardiovascular Hypertrophy in Male Rats.

ABSTRACT: The present study aimed to explore the contribution of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) salt-induced hypertension and related pathophysiological changes in cardiovascular and renal tissues. DOCA salt loading resulted in an increase in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean blood pressure along with the activity of ribosomal protein S6, the effector protein of mTOR. Treatment with rapamycin, the selective inhibitor of mTOR, initiated at the fourth week of DOCA- salt administration normalized the systolic blood pressure and attenuated ribosomal protein S6 activity in the heart, aorta, and kidney. Cardiac and vascular hypertrophy, oxidative stress, and infiltration of macrophages (CD68+), the marker of inflammation, were also reduced in rapamycin-treated, DOCA-salt, hypertensive rats. In addition, renal hypertrophy and dysfunction were also reduced with rapamycin-treated hypertensive rats. Moreover, these pathophysiological changes in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats were associated with increased NADPH oxidase (NOX) activity, gp91phox (formerly NOX2) expression, ERK1/2, and p38 MAPK activities in the heart, aorta, and kidney were minimized by rapamycin. These data indicate that mTOR plays an important role in regulating blood pressure and the development of cardiovascular and renal pathophysiological changes, most likely due to increased NOX expression/activity, ERK1/2, and p38 MAPK activity with macrophages infiltration in the heart, kidney, and aorta. Pharmacological inhibition of mTOR and related signaling pathways could serve as a novel target for the treatment of hypertension.

Bexarotene, a Selective RXRα Agonist, Reverses Hypotension Associated with Inflammation and Tissue Injury in a Rat Model of Septic Shock.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear receptors that can activate or inhibit the expression of many target genes by forming a heterodimer complex with the retinoid X receptor (RXR). The aim of this study was to investigate effects of bexarotene, a selective RXRα agonist, on the changes in renal, cardiac, hepatic, and pulmonary expression/activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 4F6 in relation to PPARα/ß/γ-RXRα heterodimer formation in a rat model of septic shock. Rats were injected with dimethyl sulfoxide or bexarotene 1 h after administration of saline or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded from rats, which had received either saline or LPS before and after 1, 2, 3, and 4 h. Serum iNOS, LTB4, myeloperoxidase (MPO), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels as well as tissue iNOS and CYP4F6 mRNA expression in addition to PPARα/ß/γ and RXRα proteins were measured. LPS-induced decrease in MAP and increase in HR were associated with a decrease in PPARα/ß/γ-RXRα heterodimer formation and CYP4F6 mRNA expression. LPS also caused an increase in systemic iNOS, LTB4, MPO, and LDH levels as well as iNOS mRNA expression. Bexarotene at 0.1 mg/kg (i.p.) prevented the LPS-induced changes, except tachycardia. The results suggest that increased formation of PPARα/ß/γ-RXRα heterodimers and CYP4F6 expression/activity in addition to decreased iNOS expression contributes to the beneficial effect of bexarotene to prevent the hypotension associated with inflammation and tissue injury during rat endotoxemia.

The role of Syk/IĸB-α/NF-ĸB pathway activation in the reversal effect of BAY 61-3606, a selective Syk inhibitor, on hypotension and inflammation in a rat model of zymosan-induced non-septic shock.

Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, plays an important role in allergic diseases and inflammation. Syk triggers several intracellular signalling cascades including Toll-like receptor signalling to activate inflammatory responses following fungal infection but the role of this enzyme in zymosan (ZYM)-induced non-septic shock and its impacts on hypotension and inflammation in rats is not well understood. This study was conducted to determine the effects of Syk inhibition on ZYM-induced alterations in the expression and/or activities of Syk, inhibitor ĸB (IĸB)-α, and nuclear factor-ĸB (NF-ĸB) p65. We also examined the effect of Syk inhibition on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) that contribute to hypotension and inflammation. Administration of ZYM (500 mg/kg, ip) to male Wistar rats decreased blood pressure and increased heart rate. These changes were associated with increased expression and/or activities of Syk, NF-κB p65, iNOS and COX-2 and decreased expression of IκB-α with enhanced levels of nitrite, nitrotyrosine, 6-keto-PGF1α , and TNF-α and activity of MPO in renal, cardiac and vascular tissues. ZYM administration also elevated serum and tissue nitrite levels. The selective Syk inhibitor BAY 61-3606 (3 mg/kg, ip) given 1 hour after ZYM injection reversed all of these changes induced by ZYM. These results suggest that Syk/IĸB-α/NF-ĸB pathway activation contributes to hypotension and inflammation caused by the production of vasodilator and proinflammatory mediators in the zymosan-induced non-septic shock model.