Intracellular Renin-angiotensin System Research Articles

Novel Perspectives on Pituitary and Brain Angiotensinogen

All the angiotensin peptides originate from angiotensinogen, a glycoprotein synthesized by several tissues, including the brain and the anterior pituitary. In the rat, immunohistochemistry has been used to localize angiotensinogen in gonadotropes and in uncharacterized cells surrounding sinusoids. Both cell types are capable of secreting angiotensingen in cell culture; only the gonadotropes contain angiotensin II (AngII) and are capable of secreting it in culture. It has been asserted that the perisinusoidal cells are the only source of angiotensinogen for the generation of AngII by gonadotropes. Our current data favor the existence of a complete intracellular renin–angiotensin system (RAS) in gonadotropes and a separate extracellular system which utilizes the high concentration of angiotensinogen from perisinusoidal cells. Furthermore, we postulate that gonadotrope AngII serves mainly reproductive functions, while the proximity of angiotensinogen-secreting cells to folliculostellate cells, and their access to the intercellular sinusoidal and follicular spaces, places the extracellular RAS in a strategic position to affect pituitary growth and the mediation of acute-phase immune responses. In the rat brain, angiotensinogen is expressed by the 16–18th day of fetal life and by areas generally concerned with vasopressor, electrolyte, and fluid homeostasis. Antisense deoxyoligonucleotides to angiotensinogen mRNA lower blood pressure in hypertensive rats and inhibitin vitrogrowth of neuroblastoma cells, indicating a significant role for angiotensinogen in mitogenic and homeostatic functions. It is commonly agreed that astrocytes express angiotensinogen. Neuronal angiotensinogen has also been demonstrated by immunohistochemistry, as a secretion from neuronal cell cultures, and by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. The fate of secreted astrocytic and neuronal angiotensinogen remains obscure. Angiotensinogen is regulated in a tissue-specific manner with smaller or absent responses observed for brain tissue. By using astrocyte and neuronal cultures the actions on angiotensinogen production of growth hormone, IGF-1, inflammatory lipopolysaccharide, and phorbol ester have been examined. Recent observations show that angiotensinogen is regulated positively or negatively by glucocorticoids and that a positive synergism between cAMP and glucocorticoids exists. On the basis of analogous systems for other proteins, a scheme involving glucocorticoid receptors, CREB, and AP-1 transcription factors is formulated to explain glucocorticoid–cAMP interactions. These transcriptional interactions may form a significant functional link between the RAS and adrenergic mechanisms.

Presence of renin within intramitochondrial dense bodies of the rat adrenal cortex

It has been suggested that tissue-specific expression of the genes of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) leads to local generation of angiotensin (ANG) II with specific physiological implications. We demonstrate here that an intracellular RAS exists in adrenal glomerulosa cells; 60 h after bilateral nephrectomy and hemodialysis, renin and prorenin were eliminated from the circulation, whereas intra-adrenal renin content increased (control rats: 2 +/- 0.5 ng ANG I.mg-1.h-1; anephric rats: 25 +/- 2). Thus renin is produced locally within adrenal cells. We obtained immunocytochemical and biochemical evidence for the presence of renin within intramitochondrial dense bodies of the zona glomerulosa. After nephrectomy, dense bodies increased in number, size, and renin content (control rats: 2.5 +/- 0.7 ngANGI.mg-1.h-1; anephric rats: 43 +/- 7). Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) was also present within mitochondria and their dense bodies. In addition, in adrenal cortex of anephric rats, giant dense bodies were observed, which contain renin and strongly react with an anti-angiotensinogen antibody. The localization of renin, ACE, and angiotensinogen at these sites provides new evidence for the existence of an intracellular adrenal RAS.

Is an intracellular renin-angiotensin system involved in control of cell communication in heart?

The possible influence of an intracellular renin-angiotensin system (RAS) on control of cell communication in heart muscle was investigated in cell pairs isolated from adult rats. Junctional conductance (gj) was measured with two separated voltage-clamp circuits. Intracellular dialysis of angiotensin I (AI 10(-8) M) caused a decrease in gj of 76% (SE +/- 3.4) (p < 0.05) in 7 min. The effect of AI appears to be due mainly to its conversion to AII because enalaprilat (10(-9) M) dialysed into the cell caused an appreciable reduction in the effect of AI. AII (10(-8) M) alone caused a decrease in gj of 60% (SE +/- 3.8) (p < 0.05) in 45 s. The effect of AII on gj was suppressed by previous inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC), but enalaprilat could not alter the effect of the peptide. The results indicate that synthesis of AII inside cardiac myocytes plays an important role in modulation of gj and consequently on propagation of the electrical impulse in heart. The effect of AII on gj was blocked by DuP-753 (10(-9) M) administered intracellularly, whereas (Sar1Val5AlA8) AII also caused a slight decrease (1.97 +/- 0.07%) in gj. These findings indicate that an intracellular receptor is involved in the effect of the peptide on gj.

Origin of the Angiotensin II Secreted by Cells

Circulating angiotensin II is unique in that it is formed in the blood by the interaction of circulating proteins. There are in addition many local renin-angiotensin systems in tissues in which angiotensin II is apparently secreted by various types of cells. This brief review considers the possible pathways for synthesis of locally produced angiotensin II in the brain, the anterior pituitary, the testes, the ovaries, the adrenal cortex, the kidneys, the heart, blood vessel walls, and brown and white fat. Synthesis by cells in culture is also reviewed. The possibility that certain cells contain a complete intracellular renin-angiotensin system is not ruled out, but there are problems with this hypothesis. Proteases other than renin may be involved, and there may be different pathways in different tissues. However, it appears that at least in some tissues, angiotensinogen is produced in one population of cells and transported in a paracrine fashion to other renin-containing cells, where it serves as the substrate for production of angiotensin II.

Identification of renin in resident alveolar macrophages and monocytes: HPLC and immunohistochemical study.

Normal, unstimulated alveolar macrophages (AM) and monocytes (Mo) from both mice and rats have been shown to exhibit an angiotensin-I-forming enzyme. This protease has a similar or identical molecular weight to plasma renin as judged by HPLC analysis. In addition, the enzyme activity could be almost completely inhibited by a specific antibody to pure mouse submaxillary gland renin. This indicates that the angiotensin-I-generating protease in AM and Mo is identical to true renin. These results are in accordance with those of immunocytochemical studies, since the cells sharing immunoreactive renin are macrophages and monocytes. The low percentage of renin positive cells may indicate a functionally different and probably distinct subpopulation of AM and Mo. The presence of renin and angiotensins and angiotensin-I-converting enzyme in normal macrophages and monocytes seems to be common. Hence, the data presented raise the possibility that an intracellular renin-angiotensin system may infact exist in a certain subpopulation(s) of normal macrophages and monocytes.

Regulation of renin angiotensins by gonadotropic hormones in cultured murine Leydig tumor cells. Release of angiotensin but not renin.

Renin and angiotensins coexist in various tissues. The mode of control of the extrarenal renin-angiotensin system is not clear. Whether it is renin or angiotensin that is secreted has not been identified. We have investigated gonadotropin-dependent synthesis and subsequent release of the components of the intracellular renin-angiotensin system in a cloned and cultured mouse Leydig tumor cell line (MA-10). Treatment of cultured Leydig cells with bovine luteinizing hormone (bLH, 100 ng/ml) or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG, 25 ng/ml) resulted in greater than 150- and 40- fold increased formation of angiotensin I and angiotensin II. In cells incubated with bLH or hCG, the majority of AII (up to 90%) was found in the culture medium while most of angiotensin I (greater than 85%) was in the cell lysate. Treatment with gonadotropic hormones (bLH/ hCG) increased renin 35- to 40-fold. Renin activity was confined mainly in the cell lysate even after the stimulation by gonadotropins, and only 1-2% of the total renin activity was detectable in culture medium. These results were interpreted that, in these transformed cells, hormonally-induced renin functions to generate angiotensin I within the Leydig cell and it is the angiotensins which are secreted.

Generation of angiotensinogen by cultured neuroblastoma and glioma cells

Cultured neuroblastoma cells and neuroblastoma-glioma cells have been shown to contain renin activity, angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, and angiotensins. It has been assumed that these cells also produce angiotensinogen as the substrate of an intracellular renin-angiotensin system. However, measurements of angiotensinogen have not been reported in the neuroblastoma or neuroblastoma-glioma cells, and the possibility that the cells generate angiotensins from fetal bovine angiotensinogen has not been eliminated. In this work angiotensinogen was shown to accumulate in the serum-free medium of thoroughly washed neuroblastoma cells (mouse Neuro-2A and rat B103) and glioma cells (rat C6). Separate experiments demonstrated that mouse Neuro-2A cells continue to produce angiotensinogen even after two passages in a defined serum-free culture medium. Further evidence that the angiotensinogen was not a contaminant from fetal bovine serum was obtained by the use of a monoclonal antibody raised against angiotensinogen of rat plasma. The angiotensinogen of Neuro-2A and C6-glioma cells is bound by the monoclonal antibody, whereas fetal bovine angiotensinogen is not bound. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that angiotensinogen is produced locally in the brain and in neuroblastoma cells as a substrate for an intracellular renin-angiotensin system.

Evidence for intracellular formation of angiotensins: Coexistence of renin and angiotensin-converting enzyme in Leydig cells of rat testis

Leydig cells were purified from rat testes by discontinuous metrizamide density gradient and were shown to contain renin (EC 3.4.99.1), angiotensin-converting enzyme (dipeptidyl car☐ypeptidase, (EC 3.4.15.1), and the peptide hormone angiotensins I, II and III as determined by the combined HPLC and radioimmunoassay. In germinal cells only angiotensin II (AII) was found at a significant level. These findings provide evidence for intracellular formation of AII in testicular cells and demonstrate that an intracellular renin-angiotensin system exists in normal non-transformed cells.

Immunohistochemical evidence that angiotensins I and II are formed by intracellular mechanism in juxtaglomerular cells.

The existence of angiotensin II (AII) immunoreactivity in juxtaglomerular (JG) cells of rat kidney, which has been demonstrated previously by immunohistochemical studies, can be explained either as the product of intracellular synthesis or by the internalization of receptor-bound AII originating in plasma. To resolve these two alternative mechanisms, attempts were made to identify AI in JG cells of rat kidney by immunohistochemical staining using specific antibodies to AI. Although AI-like immunoreactivity was not detected in normal rat kidney, rats treated with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, MK-421 or captopril, showed AI-like immunoreactivity in JG cells. The presence of renin and AII-like immunoreactivity was demonstrated in the same cells by specific antibodies to respective antigens used on adjacent serial sections. These findings support an intracellular mechanism of the formation of AII and suggest an intracellular renin angiotensin system, presumably separate from the extracellular system.