Regulation of Human Renin Secretion and Renin Transcription by Quantitative PCR in Cultured Chorionic Cells: Synergistic Effect of Cyclic AMP and Protein Kinase C

Abstract

A quantitative PCR was developed to measure human renin mRNA in chorionic cells under various stimuli. An internal standard consisting of a mutated renin mRNA with an insertion of 60 bp was designed to quantify the reaction. Quantitative PCR is a suitable tool for studying human renin gene transcription from a low number of cells. Forskolin alone had no effect on either renin mRNA levels or renin production whereas 10−7M PMA stimulated renin mRNA levels and renin production 5- and 2.6-fold, respectively, after 24 hours incubation. PMA and forskolin acted synergistically to increase both renin mRNA levels and renin production in a dose-dependent manner.