The cannabinoid agonist WIN-2 affects acquisition but not consolidation of a spatial information in training and retraining processes: Relation with transcriptional regulation of the endocannabinoid system?

The endocannabinoid system is capable of modulating multiple physiological brain functions including learning and memory. Moreover, there is evidence that the processes of acquisition and consolidation have distinct biological basis. We used the cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 (WIN-2) to investigate whether chronic CB1 activation affects acquisition and consolidation differently by evaluating gene expression in the hippocampus (HIP) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Swiss mice were treated with WIN-2 (2 mg/kg) and submitted to the Morris water maze to evaluate different aspects of memory. We observed short-term memory impairment in acquisition of the spatial task while consolidation remained unchanged. In the PFC, animals that received WIN-2 prior to the task exhibited increased expression of the 2-AG synthesis enzyme diacylglycerol lipase and decreased levels of the degradation enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase, while mice that were treated after the task for the evaluation of consolidation exhibited the opposite profile. With respect to genes related to AEA metabolism, no correlation between the molecular and behavioral data could be established. In this sense, the cognitive impairment in the acquisition promoted by WIN-2 treatment may be related to a possible increase in the concentration of 2-AG in the PFC. Overall, this study confirms the relevance of the endocannabinoid system in the modulation of cognitive processes. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying endocannabinoids roles in cognition could provide guidance for the development of treatments to reduce the cognitive deficits caused by drug abuse.

Effects of chlorthalidone on ventricular hypertrophy in deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertensive rats.

Diuretics have been the mainstay of long-term treatment of hypertension, but there is no evidence suggesting that diuretics may be effective in reducing cardiac hypertrophy associated with hypertension. Thus, the present study was carried out to elucidate if long-term treatment with chlorthalidone (8 mg per animal per day added to food) affects the development of and reverses the ventricular hypertrophy in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) (8 mg/kg SC twice a week)-salt hypertensive rats. Chlorthalidone was given to one group during all 20 days of DOCA administration (preventive regimen) and to another group 20 days after DOCA treatment was initiated until the 40th day (therapeutic regimen). Chlorthalidone was found to reduce or prevent the development of ventricular hypertrophy, as assessed by a reduction in ventricular mass and cardiac protein as well as arterial hypertension. Both chlorthalidone regimens prevented the increase or induced a significant decrease in the plasma concentration of sodium and in cardiac sympathetic tone, which were both increased in DOCA-salt-treated rats. These data provide evidence that long-term chlorthalidone treatment is effective in preventing or reducing ventricular hypertrophy along with arterial hypertension. However, whether this is due to a reduction in plasma sodium or other additional mechanisms, such as a reduction in cardiac sympathetic tone, remains to be determined.

Endooligopeptidase A activity in rabbit heart: generation of enkephalin from enkephalin containing peptides.

Two endopeptidases displaying similar specificities towards peptide hormone substrates but differing in molecular size have been identified in rabbit heart and isolated by a combination of ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration and preparative gel electrophoresis. These two enzymes share several properties with the previously described rabbit brain endooligopeptidase A. They were shown to produce, by a single peptide bond cleavage, [Met5] enkephalin and [Leu5]enkephalin from small enkephalin containing peptides. They also hydrolyze the Phe5-Ser5 bond of bradykinin and the Arg8-Arg9 bond of neurotensin. Characteristically, the activity of both low and high Mr enzymes is restricted to oligopeptides. Both forms of heart endooligopeptidase A are inhibited by antibodies raised against the brain enzyme. When electrophoresed in SDS-polyacrylamide gel under denaturing conditions, the low Mr heart enzyme shows a major band of Mr = 73,000, comparable in size to the brain enzyme. The SDS-PAGE of the high and low Mr enzymes analyzed by immunoblotting with an antibody raised against low Mr brain endooligopeptidase A, showed a major antigen band corresponding to Mr = 72,000. In addition, immunoblotting has also demonstrated that a monoclonal antibody antitubulin reacts with a polypeptide corresponding to Mr = 50,000 present in the purified high Mr endooligopeptidase A. Both enzymes are activated by dithiothreitol and inhibited by thiol reagents, but are not affected by leupeptin, DFP or EDTA, thus indicating that they should be classified as nonlysosomal cysteinyl-endooligopeptidase A.

Increased angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in the left ventricle after infarction.

An increase in angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity has been observed in the heart after myocardial infarction (MI). Since most studies have been conducted in chronically infarcted individuals exhibiting variable degrees of heart failure, the present study was designed to determine ACE activity in an earlier phase of MI, before heart failure development. MI was produced in 3-month old male Wistar rats by ligation of the anterior branches of the left coronary artery, control rats underwent sham surgery and the animals were studied 7 or 15 days later. Hemodynamic data obtained for the anesthetized animals showed normal values of arterial blood pressure and of end-diastolic pressure in the right and left ventricular cavities of MI rats. Right and left ventricular (RV, LV) muscle and scar tissue homogenates were prepared to determine ACE activity in vitro by measuring the velocity of His-Leu release from the synthetic substrate Hyp-His-Leu. ACE activity was corrected to the tissue wet weight and is reported as nmol His-Leu g-1 min-1. No significant change in ACE activity in the RV homogenates was demonstrable. A small nonsignificant increase of ACE activity (11 +/- 9%; P > 0.05) was observed 7 days after MI in the surviving left ventricular muscle. Two weeks after surgery, however, ACE activity was 46 +/- 11% (P < 0.05) higher in infarcted rats compared to sham-operated rats. The highest ACE activity was demonstrable in the scar tissue homogenate. In rats studied two weeks after surgery, ACE activity in the LV muscle increased from 105 +/- 7 nmol His-Leu g-1 min-1 in control hearts to 153 +/- 11 nmol His-Leu g-1 min-1 (P < 0.05) in the remaining LV muscle of MI rats and to 1051 +/- 208 nmol His-Leu g-1 min-1 (P < 0.001) in the fibrous scar. These data indicate that ACE activity increased in the heart after infarction before heart failure was demonstrable by hemodynamic measurements. Since the blood vessels of the scar drain to the remaining LV myocardium, the high ACE activity present in the fibrous scar may increase the angiotensin II concentration and decrease bradykinin in the cardiac tissues surrounding the infarcted area. The increased angiotensin II in the fibrous scar may contribute to the reactive fibrosis and hypertrophy in the left ventricular muscle surviving infarction.

Differential effects of isoproterenol on the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme in the rat heart and aorta.

The excessive stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors in the heart induces myocardial hypertrophy. There are several experimental data suggesting that this hypertrophy may also depend, at least partially, on the increase of local production of angiotensin II secondary to the activation of the cardiac renin-angiotensin system. In this study we investigated the effects of isoproterenol on the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in the heart and also in the aorta and plasma. Male Wistar rats weighing 250 to 305 g were treated with a dose of (+/-)-isoproterenol (0.3 mg kg-1 day-1, N = 8) sufficient to produce cardiac hypertrophy without deleterious effects on the pumping capacity of the heart. Control rats (N = 7) were treated with vehicle (corn oil). The animals were killed one week later. ACE activity was determined in vitro in the four cardiac chambers, aorta and plasma by a fluorimetric assay. A significant hypertrophy was observed in both ventricular chambers. ACE activity in the atria remained constant after isoproterenol treatment. There was a significant increase (P < 0.05) of ACE activity in the right ventricle (6.9 +/- 0.9 to 8.2 +/- 0.6 nmol His-Leu g-1 min-1) and in the left ventricle (6.4 +/- 1.1 to 8.9 +/- 0.8 nmol His-Leu g-1 min-1). In the aorta, however, ACE activity decreased (P < 0.01) after isoproterenol (41 +/- 3 to 27 +/- 2 nmol His-Leu g-1 min-1) while it remained unchanged in the plasma. These data suggest that ACE expression in the heart can be increased by stimulation of beta-adrenoceptors. However, this effect is not observed on other local renin-angiotensin systems, such as the aorta. Our data also suggest that the increased sympathetic discharge and the elevated plasma concentration of catecholamines may contribute to the upregulation of ACE expression in the heart after myocardial infarction and heart failure.

Heart prolyl endopeptidase activity in one-kidney, one clip hypertensive rats.

1. Heart mass, prolyl endopeptidase activity and fractionated proteins from heart tissue were studied in one-kidney, one clip hypertensive rats (N = 6) and compared to sham-operated rats (N = 6). 2. Body weight, arterial pressure and tissue mass were measured 4 weeks after artery clipping. Z-Gly-Pro-p-nitroaniline hydrolysis was used to measure tissue prolyl endopeptidase activity in the homogenate. Protein was fractionated into the soluble and myofibrillar fractions. 3. In the normotensive rats, prolyl endopeptidase activity expressed in terms of protein specific activity (microM substrate hydrolyzed h-1 mg supernatant protein-1) occurred in atria and was 2.5-fold higher than in the ventricles (3.79 +/- 0.20 vs 1.44 +/- 0.02, P < 0.05). In the one-kidney, one clip hypertensive rats, the left ventricle tissue increased 1.7-fold (2.27 +/- 0.11 vs 3.72 +/- 0.11 mg wet weight tissue/g body weight, P < 0.001), the soluble protein fraction (54.86 +/- 3.60 vs 57.38 +/- 6.64 mg/g wet weight tissue) was unchanged, while the myofibrillar fraction increased 1.9-fold (118.9 +/- 9.09 vs 229.8 +/- 8.47 mg/g wet weight tissue, P < 0.001). 4. The specific activity of the atrial and ventricular prolyl endopeptidase decreased in atria and increased in ventricles as the result of hypertension (3.79 +/- 0.2 vs 2.84 +/- 0.13 and 1.44 +/- 0.02 vs 1.87 +/- 0.13; respectively). These regional differences in prolyl endopeptidase enzyme content caused by one-kidney, one clip hypertension in neurosecretory and non-neurosecretory heart areas suggest that this enzyme plays a local role in the turnover of specific polypeptides.

Calpain activity of hypertrophic hearts from hypertensive rats.

Heart tissue contains large amounts of the Ca(2+)-activated proteinase calpain which has been assigned a specific function in the turnover of muscle protein. The objective of the present study was to determine calpain (E.C. 3.4.22.17)-like activity in homogenates of left ventricle from hypertensive rats that developed ventricular hypertrophy. Calpain activity was assayed using heat-denatured azocasein as a substrate in the presence of 1 mM calcium and corrected by subtraction of the Ca(2+)-independent activities. The latter were measured in the presence of 1 mM EGTA and the products read at 440 nm. Male Wistar rats (225 g) were assigned to control (N = 8, normal drinking water), salt (N = 6, drinking water containing 1% NaCl) and DOCA-salt (N = 6, deoxycorticosterone acetate, 8 mg/kg, sc, twice a week for 20 days plus drinking water containing 1% NaCl) groups. SHR (N = 6, spontaneously hypertensive rats) were also used. The calpain activity of the control group was at 3.90 +/- 0.22 mU/g wet weight tissue. Hypertension induced significant left ventricular hypertrophy in DOCA-salt rats (26%) and in SHR (54%) and a 30% decrease in calpain activity in both groups (P < 0.01). In the high salt load (salt group) calpain activity was also decreased, but this was not accompanied by hypertrophy. In the present indirect measurement of protein degradation capacity of heart tissue homogenates the proteolytic activity was activated (221%) by 1 mM calcium and inhibited (84%) by 1 mM EGTA after a 48-h incubation period, indicating the destruction of the calpain inhibitor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Evaluation of protein and peptide hydrolases in DOCA-salt hypertensive rat treated with chlorthalidone.

We have reported that chlorthalidone (Chlor) prevents the development of heart hypertrophy in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats. The present study was carried out to determine whether Chlor (8 mg/day per animal, added to the food, for 20 days) affects kidney and heart hypertrophy in DOCA-salt (8 mg/kg, sc, twice a week) rats by causing alterations in protein and peptide hydrolysis. Heart (left ventricle) and kidney enzyme activities were measured in tissue homogenates from normal-control, salt-control, DOCA-salt and DOCA-salt-Chlor male Wistar rats (N = 6 for each group), using azocasein as the substrate for proteolytic enzymes and specific peptides for prolylendopeptidase (PEP) and multicatalytic proteinase (MCP). The tissue weight/body weight ratio increased in parallel to elevation of blood pressure. The left ventricular muscle hypertrophy (26%, P < 0.05) present in the DOCA-salt hypertensive group was completely prevented by simultaneous Chlor treatment. Chlor treatment did not change the kidney hypertrophy (+79%, P < 0.;05) observed in the salt-control (+57%, P < 0.05) and DOCA-salt (+74%, P < 0.05) groups. The hydrolysis of peptides by PEP and MCP was similar in the normal and salt-control groups. The heart PEP activity was 24% higher (P < 0.01) in DOCA-salt rats, whereas MCP activity was not different when compared to control groups. DOCA-salt treatment increased MCP activity in the kidney by 44% while PEP activity did not differ from that of control groups. The hydrolysis of proteins by heart enzymes was increased by salt by 47%. Chlor treatment restored the reduction in protein hydrolysis induced by DOCA-salt (a 21% decrease, P < 0.05) to a level similar to that of the normal-control group. Similarly, Chlor coadministration prevented the 30% reduction in renal proteolytic activity elicited by DOCA-salt treatment. Although Chlor treatment prevented the DOCA-salt-induced reduction in protein hydrolysis, this response did not interfere with kidney hypertrophy. The mechanism by which hypertension produces hypertrophy is unclear, but our results suggest that this structural modification is not related to the activities of some peptidases, e.g. protein and peptide hydrolases.

Roles of estrogen and progesterone in modulating renal nerve function in the rat kidney.

The maintenance of extracellular Na+ and Cl- concentrations in mammals depends, at least in part, on renal function. It has been shown that neural and endocrine mechanisms regulate extracellular fluid volume and transport of electrolytes along nephrons. Studies of sex hormones and renal nerves suggested that sex hormones modulate renal function, although this relationship is not well understood in the kidney. To better understand the role of these hormones on the effects that renal nerves have on Na+ and Cl- reabsorption, we studied the effects of renal denervation and oophorectomy in female rats. Oophorectomized (OVX) rats received 17ß-estradiol benzoate (OVE, 2.0 mg · kg(-1) · day(-1), sc) and progesterone (OVP, 1.7 mg · kg(-1) · day(-1), sc). We assessed Na+ and Cl- fractional excretion (FENa+ and FECl- , respectively) and renal and plasma catecholamine release concentrations. FENa+ , FECl- , water intake, urinary flow, and renal and plasma catecholamine release levels increased in OVX vs control rats. These effects were reversed by 17ß-estradiol benzoate but not by progesterone. Renal denervation did not alter FENa+ , FECl- , water intake, or urinary flow values vs controls. However, the renal catecholamine release level was decreased in the OVP (236.6 ± 36.1 ng/g) and denervated rat groups (D: 102.1 ± 15.7; ODE: 108.7 ± 23.2; ODP: 101.1 ± 22.1 ng/g). Furthermore, combining OVX + D (OD: 111.9 ± 25.4) decreased renal catecholamine release levels compared to either treatment alone. OVE normalized and OVP reduced renal catecholamine release levels, and the effects on plasma catecholamine release levels were reversed by ODE and ODP replacement in OD. These data suggest that progesterone may influence catecholamine release levels by renal innervation and that there are complex interactions among renal nerves, estrogen, and progesterone in the modulation of renal function.

Roles of estrogen and progesterone in modulating renal nerve function in the rat kidney

The maintenance of extracellular Na+ and Cl- concentrations in mammals depends, at least in part, on renal function. It has been shown that neural and endocrine mechanisms regulate extracellular fluid volume and transport of electrolytes along nephrons. Studies of sex hormones and renal nerves suggested that sex hormones modulate renal function, although this relationship is not well understood in the kidney. To better understand the role of these hormones on the effects that renal nerves have on Na+ and Cl- reabsorption, we studied the effects of renal denervation and oophorectomy in female rats. Oophorectomized (OVX) rats received 17β-estradiol benzoate (OVE, 2.0 mg·kg-1·day-1, sc) and progesterone (OVP, 1.7 mg·kg-1·day-1, sc). We assessed Na+ and Cl- fractional excretion (FENa+ and FECl- , respectively) and renal and plasma catecholamine release concentrations. FENa+ , FECl- , water intake, urinary flow, and renal and plasma catecholamine release levels increased in OVX vs control rats. These effects were reversed by 17β-estradiol benzoate but not by progesterone. Renal denervation did not alter FENa+ , FECl- , water intake, or urinary flow values vs controls. However, the renal catecholamine release level was decreased in the OVP (236.6±36.1 ng/g) and denervated rat groups (D: 102.1±15.7; ODE: 108.7±23.2; ODP: 101.1±22.1 ng/g). Furthermore, combining OVX + D (OD: 111.9±25.4) decreased renal catecholamine release levels compared to either treatment alone. OVE normalized and OVP reduced renal catecholamine release levels, and the effects on plasma catecholamine release levels were reversed by ODE and ODP replacement in OD. These data suggest that progesterone may influence catecholamine release levels by renal innervation and that there are complex interactions among renal nerves, estrogen, and progesterone in the modulation of renal function.

The diuretic chlorthalidone normalizes baroreceptor and Bezold-Jarisch reflexes in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats.

The contributions of arterial baroreceptor and Bezold-Jarisch reflexes, and atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) to the anti-hypertensive effect of the diuretic chlorthalidone were investigated in rats with deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt-induced hypertension. Chlorthalidone (8 mg rat(-1)day(-1)added to food) was given to one group during all 20 days of DOCA (8 mg kg(-1)s.c. twice per week) administration (preventive regimen) and, to another group, 20 days after DOCA treatment was initiated until the 40th day (therapeutic regimen). DOCA caused a significant increase in mean arterial pressure, reduced arterial baroreflex, and increased both the Bezold-Jarisch reflex and pro-ANF converting enzyme activity. Chlorthalidone reversed or prevented the DOCA-salt-induced hypertension, which was accompanied by the normalization of both the arterial baroreflex and the Bezold-Jarisch reflex. Additionally, both preventive and therapeutic regimens with chlorthalidone did cause normalization of the plasma sodium concentration and pro-ANF converting enzyme activity in the left atrium that follows DOCA-salt hypertension. Although it is difficult to determine the relative importance of each of the above regulatory mechanisms altered by chlorthalidone treatment, these data indicate that they may account for the prevention or decrease of DOCA-salt-induced hypertension in rats.

Rabbit tissue peptidases that hydrolyse the peptide hormone bradykinin. Differences in enzymic properties and concentration in rabbit tissues.

The distribution and properties of neutral peptidases acting on the peptide hormone bradykinin (Arg-Pro-Pro-Gly-Phe-Ser-Pro-Phe-Arg) were determined in several rabbit tissues. The supernatant and particulate fractions prepared from tissue homogenates (25000g for 60min) were studied. Bradykinin inactivation (kininase activity) was measured by bioassay with the isolated guinea-pig ileum. The sites of peptide-bond cleavage were determined in the amino acid analyser, which permits detection and measurement of amino acids and peptides derived from bradykinin. The results indicate that kininases are present in a wide range of concentrations in different tissues, kidney and lung having the most activity. Kininases present in different tissues were distinguished on the basis of sensitivity to the effects of EDTA, dithiothreitol and ZnCl2 and by the site of peptide-bond hydrolysis in bradykinin.

Inhibition of rabbit tissue kininase by anti-(endo-oligopeptidase A) antibodies.

Highly purified rabbit brain endo-oligopeptidase A injected into goats produced, after 60 days of immunization, antisera that specifically inhibit purified rabbit brain endo-oligopeptidase A. An immunoreactive kininase having the same specificity as rabbit brain endo-oligopeptidase A for bradykinin was detected in several rabbit tissues. The highest amount of this immunoreactive kininase was found in the 25000 g supernatant fraction (S fraction) of heart, liver, skeletal muscle, ovary, brain and testis homogenates, corresponding to 89, 86, 78, 59, 56 and 53% respectively of the whole kininase activity found in the S fraction.

Increased angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in the left ventricle after infarction

An increase in angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity has been observed in the heart after myocardial infarction (MI). Since most studies have been conducted in chronically infarcted individuals exhibiting variable degrees of heart failure, the present study was designed to determine ACE activity in an earlier phase of MI, before heart failure development. MI was produced in 3-month old male Wistar rats by ligation of the anterior branches of the left coronary artery, control rats underwent sham surgery and the animals were studied 7 or 15 days later. Hemodynamic data obtained for the anesthetized animals showed normal values of arterial blood pressure and of end-diastolic pressure in the right and left ventricular cavities of MI rats. Right and left ventricular (RV, LV) muscle and scar tissue homogenates were prepared to determine ACE activity in vitro by measuring the velocity of His-Leu release from the synthetic substrate Hyp-His-Leu. ACE activity was corrected to the tissue wet weight and is reported as nmol His-Leu g(-1) min(-1). No significant change in ACE activity in the RV homogenates was demonstrable. A small nonsignificant increase of ACE activity (11 + 9 percent; P>0.05) was observed 7 days after MI in the surviving left ventricular muscle. Two weeks after surgery, however, ACE activity was 46 + 11 percent (P<0.05) higher in infarcted rats compared to sham-operated rats. The highest ACE activity was demosntrable in the scar tissue homogenate. In rats studied two weeks after surgery, ACE activity in the LV muscle increased from 105 + 7 nmol His-Leu g(-1) min (-1) in control hearts to 153 + 11 nmol His-Leu g(-1) min(-1) (P<0.05) in the remaining LV muscle of MI rats and to 1051 + 208 nmol His-Leu g(-1) min(-1) (P<0.001) in the fibrous scar. These data indicate that ACE activity increased in the heart after infarction before heart failure was demonstrable by hemodynamic measurements. Since the blood vessels of the scar drain to the remaining LV myocardium, the high ACE activity present in the fibrous scar may increase the angiotensin II concentration and decrease bradykinin in the cardiac tissues surrounding the infarcted area. The increased angiotensin II in the fibrous scar may contribute to the reactive fibrosis and hypertrophy in the left ventricular muscle surviving infarction.

Differential effects of isoproterenol on the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme in the rat heart and aorta

The excessive stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors in the heart induces myocardial hypertrophy. There are several experimental data suggesting that this hypertrophy may also depend, at least partially, on the increase of local production of angiotensin II secondary to the activation of the cardiac renin-angiotensin system. In this study we investigated the effects of isoproterenol on the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in the heart and also in the aorta and plasma. Male Wistar rats weighing 250 to 305 g were treated with a dose of (ñ)-isoproterenol (0.3 mg kg-1 day-1, N = 8) sufficient to produce cardiac hypertrophy without deleterious effects on the pumping capacity of the heart. Control rats (N = 7) were treated with vehicle (corn oil). The animals were killed one week later. ACE activity was determined in vitro in the four cardiac chambers, aorta and plasma by a fluorimetric assay. A significant hypertrophy was observed in both ventricular chambers. ACE activity in the atria remained constant after isoproterenol treatment. There was a significant increase (P<0.05) of ACE activity in the right ventricle (6.9 = 0.9 to 8.2 = 0.6 nmol His-Leu g-1 min-1) and in the left ventricle (6.4 ñ 1.1 to 8.9 ñ 0.8 nmol His-Leu g-1 min-1). In the aorta, however, ACE activity decreased (P<0.01) after isoproterenol (41 = 3 to 27 = 2 nmol His-Leu g-1 min-1) while it remained unchanged in the plasma. These data suggest that ACE expression in the heart can be increased by stimulation of beta-adrenoceptors. However, this effect is not observed on other local renin-angiotensin systems, such as the aorta. Our data also suggest that the increased sympathetic discharge and the elevated plasma concentration of catecholamines may contribute to the upregulation of ACE expression in the heart after myocardial infarction and heart failure

Calpain activity of hypertrophic hearts from hypertensive rats

Heart tissue contains large amounts of the Ca²+ -activated protein-ase calpain which has been assigned a specific function in the turnover of muscle protein. The objective of the present study was to determine calpain (E.C. 3.4.22.17)-like activity in homogenates of left ventricle from hypertensive rats that developed ventricular hypertrophy. Calpain activity was assayed using heat-denaturated azocasein as a substrate in the presence of 1 mM calcium and corrected by subtraction of the Ca²+ -independent activities. Tha latter were measured in the presence of 1 mM EGTA and the products read at 440nm. Male Wistar rats (225g) were assgned to control (N=8, normal drinking water), salt (N=6, drinking water containing 1 percent NaCl) and DOCA-salt (N=6, deoxycorticosterone acetate, 8 mg/Kg, sc, twice a week for 20 days plus drinking water containing 1 percent NaCl) groups. SHR (N =6, spontaneously hypertensive rats) were also used. The calpain activity of the control group was at 3.90 ñ 0.22 mU/g wet weight tissue. Hypertension induced significant left ventricular hypertrophy in DOCA-salt rats (26 percent) and in SHR (54 percent) and a 30 percent decrease in calpain activity in both groups (P < 0.01). In the high salt load (salt group) calpain activity was also decreased, but this was not accompanied by hypertrophy...

Heart prolyl endopeptidase activity in one-kidney, one clip hypertensive rats

1. Heart mass, prolyl endopeptidase activity and fractionated proteins from heart tissue were studied in one-kidney, one clip hypertensive rats (N=6) and compared to sham-operated rats (N=6). 2. Body weigh, arterial pressure and tissue mass were measured 4 weeks after artery clipping Z-Gly-Pro-p-nitroaniline hydrolysis was used to measure tissue prolyl endopeptidase activity in the homogenate. Protein was fractionated into the soluble and myofibrillar fractions. 3. In the normotensive rats, prolyl endopeptidase activity expressed in terms of protein specific activity (µM substrate hydrolyzed h-1 mg supernatant protein-1) occurred in atria and was 2.5-fold higher than in the ventricles (3.79 ñ 0.20 vs 1.44 ñ 0.02, P<0.05). In the one-kidney, one clip hypertensive rats, the left ventricle tissue increased 1.7-fold (2.27 ñ 0.11 vs 3.72 ñ 0.11 mg wet weight tissue/g body weight, P<0.001), the soluble protein fraction (54.86 ñ 3.60 vs 57.38 ñ 6.64 mg/g wet weight tissue) was unchanged, while the myofibrillar fraction increased 1.9-fold (118.9 ñ 9.09 vs 229.8 ñ 8.47 mg/g wet weight tissue, P<0.001). 4 The specific activity of the atrial and ventricular prolyl endopeptidase decreased in atria and increased in ventricles as the result of hypertension (3.79 ñ 0.2 vs 2.84 ñ 0.13 and 1.44 ñ 0.02 vs 1.87 ñ 0.13; respectively). These regional differences in prolyl endopeptidase enxyme content caused by one-kidney, one clip hypertension in neurosecretory and non-neurosecretory heart areas suggest that this enzyme plays a local role in the turnover of specific polypeptides