Cross talk between kinin and angiotensin II receptors in mouse abdominal aorta.

Bradykinin (BK) is a vasorelaxant, algesic and inflammatory agent. Angiotensin II (AngII) is known to control vascular tone and promote growth, inflammation and artherogenesis. There is evidence for cross talking between BK and AngII receptors. Therefore, the effect of lack of kinin receptors was assessed in mice with genetic disruption of B(1) or B(2) and both receptors. Responsiveness of abdominal aortic rings to BK and AngII as well as the receptor gene expression of both peptides were analysed. Although no specific phenotype was displayed in the normotensive and healthy mice lacking the kinin receptors, a decreased expression level of the remaining kinin receptor mRNA was observed. AT(1) receptor mRNA level was also reduced, indicating that kinin receptors regulate AngII receptors. Downregulation of the receptors was well correlated with reduction in the reactivity of both agonists to induce contraction of aortic rings, but other signal regulations must be sought in these transgenic mice. We conclude that cross talk between kinin and AngII receptors occurs in mouse abdominal aorta and that both peptides may regulate the initiation and progression of important pathophysiological processes, such as hypertension and inflammation.

Disruption of the kinin B1 receptor gene affects potentiating effect of captopril on BK-induced contraction in mice stomach fundus.

A transgenic mouse model, deficient in kinin B(1) receptor (B(1)(-/-)) was used to evaluate the role of B(2) receptor in the smooth muscle stomach fundus. The results showed that the potency of bradykinin (BK) to induce contraction in the gastric tissue was maintained whereas the efficacy was markedly reduced. The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor captopril potentiated BK-induced effect in wild type (WT) but not in B(1)(-/-) fundus. However, ACE activity detected by the convertion of Ang I to Ang II was inhibited by captopril in both types of gastric tissues. Taking into account the hypothesis that captopril and ACE bind to the B(2) receptor, we suggest that this complex was not formed in the stomach deficient in B(1) receptor. Therefore, our finding strongly support the hypothesis that in smooth muscles that constitutively express the kinin B(1) and B(2) receptors, an interaction between captopril and ACE, B(1) and B(2) receptors should occur forming a complex protein interaction for the potentiating effect of ACE on kinin receptors.

Altered reactivity of gastric fundus smooth muscle in the mouse with targeted disruption of the kinin B1 receptor gene.

Relaxing action of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was significantly reduced in the stomach fundus of mice lacking the kinin B(1) receptor (B(1)(-/-)). Increased basal cGMP accumulation was correlated with attenuated SNP induced dose-dependent relaxation in B(1)(-/-) when compared with wild type (WT) control mice. These responses to SNP were completely blocked by the guanylate cyclase inhibitor ODQ (10 microM). It was also found that Ca(2+)-dependent, constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) activity was unchanged but the Ca(2+)-independent inducible NOS (iNOS) activity was greater in B(1)(-/-) mice than in WT animals. Zaprinast (100 microM), a specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor, increased the nitrergic relaxations and the accumulation of the basal as well as the SNP-stimulated cGMP in WT but not in B(1)(-/-) stomach fundus. From these findings it is concluded that the inhibited phosphodiesterase activity and high level of cGMP reduced the resting muscle tone, impairing the relaxant responses of the stomach in B(1)(-/-) mice. In addition, it can be suggested that functional B(2) receptor might be involved in the NO compensatory mechanism associated with the deficiency of kinin B(1) receptor in the gastric tissue of the transgenic mice.