Abstract 15061: Essential Hypertension is Linked to Acetylation of Mitochondrial Superoxide Dismutase and Deacetylation Mimetic Mutation of Lysine 68 to Arginine Protects From Oxidative Stress and Hypertension

Abstract

Almost one-half of adults have hypertension, and blood pressure is poorly controlled in a third of patients despite use of multiple drugs, likely due to mechanisms contributing to blood pressure elevation that are not affected by current treatments. Hypertension is linked to oxidative stress; however, common antioxidants are ineffective. We found that hypertension is associated with inactivation of key mitochondrial antioxidant, superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), due to acetylation of lysine residues at the catalytic center. The role of specific SOD2 lysine residues in hypertension, however, has not been defined. Hypothesis: We proposed that inactivation of key intrinsic antioxidant, SOD2, in hypertension is linked to acetylation of Lysine 68, and mutation of K68 to Arginine mimics SOD2 deacetylation, inhibits vascular oxidative stress and attenuates angiotensin II-induced hypertension. To test this hypothesis, we have investigated SOD2 acetylation in arterioles from patients with essential hypertension and developed a new deacetylation mimic SOD2 mutant K68R mice (SOD2-K68R). Western blot of arterioles isolated from human mediastinal fat showed 3-fold increase in SOD2 acetylation in hypertensive patients compared with normotensive subjects while SOD2 levels were not affected. To define the functional significance of K68 acetylation we performed studies in vivo in SOD2-K68R mice using angiotensin II model of vascular dysfunction and hypertension. Angiotensin II infusion in wild-type C57Bl/6J mice induced vascular inflammation and oxidative stress, and increased blood pressure to 160 mm Hg. Mutation of Lysine 68 to Arginine in SOD2-K68R mice completely prevented the increase in mitochondrial superoxide and significantly attenuated the angiotensin II induced hypertension (135 mm Hg). Angiotensin II and TNFα co-operatively induce SOD2 acetylation and hypertension. Treatment of wild-type aortas with angiotensin II and TNFα in organoid culture increased mitochondrial superoxide by 2-fold which was completely prevented in aortas isolated from SOD2-K68R mice. Conclusions: These data support an important role of SOD2-K68 acetylation in hypertension and targeting Sirt3-mediated deacetylation of SOD2 may have therapeutic potential.