Biomedical subjects

Katsutoshi Goto

Publications and source records attributed to Katsutoshi Goto.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Down-regulated VEGF expression in the diabetic heart is normalized by an endothelin ETA receptor antagonist.

Recently, down-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the heart was suggested as a potential molecular explanation for the increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes. Increased endothelin-1 production is reported in diabetes. Here, we report that down-regulated VEGF expression in the diabetic rat heart is normalized by an endothelin ETA receptor antagonist, suggesting that endothelin antagonism may be a novel therapeutic strategy for diabetic heart.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2006

Orexin neurons are directly and indirectly regulated by catecholamines in a complex manner.

We reported elsewhere that orexin neurons are directly hyperpolarized by noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine. In the present study, we show that NA, dopamine, and adrenaline all directly hyperpolarized orexin neurons. This response was inhibited by the alpha2 adrenergic receptor (alpha2-AR) antagonist, idazoxan or BRL44408, and was mimicked by the alpha2-AR-selective agonist, UK14304. A low concentration of Ba2+ inhibited NA-induced hyperpolarization, which suggests that activation of G protein coupled inward rectifier potassium channels is involved in the response. In the presence of a high concentration of idazoxan, NA induced depolarization or inward current. This response was inhibited by alpha1-AR antagonist, prazosin, which suggests the existence of alpha1-ARs on the orexin neurons along with alpha2-AR. We also examined the effects of NA on glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic transmission. NA application dramatically increased the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory synaptic currents (sIPSCs) and inhibited excitatory synaptic currents (sEPSCs) in orexin neurons; however, NA decreased the frequency of miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs) and IPSCs and the amplitude of evoked EPSCs and IPSCs through the alpha2-AR, because the NA response on mPSCs was inhibited by idazoxan. These results suggest that the NA-induced increase in sIPSC frequency and amplitude is mediated via alpha1-ARs on the somata of GABAergic neurons that innervate the orexin neurons. Calcium imaging using orexin/YC2.1 transgenic mouse brain revealed that NA-induced inhibition of orexin neurons is not altered by sleep deprivation or circadian time in mice. The evidence presented here revealed that orexin neurons are regulated by catecholamines in a complex manner.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed2006

An endothelin type A receptor antagonist reverses upregulated VEGF and ICAM-1 levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat retina.

Diabetic retinopathy, a cause of blindness, is often associated with the upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the retina. Recently, leukocyte adhesion (leukostasis) is claimed for the occlusion of retinal capillary vascularity, which ultimately assists in the progression of diabetic retinopathy. In addition, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), a representative factor for leukostasis, is increased in diabetic retina. Endothelin (ET)-1, a potent vasoconstrictor peptide, is closely linked to the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. Different therapeutic interventions concerning VEGF have already been proposed to prevent diabetic retinopathy. However, no study has yet reported concerning the effects of ET-1 receptor antagonist on the upregulated VEGF and ICAM-1 in morphologically intact diabetic retina. The current study investigated the effect of ET(A) receptor antagonist (TA-0201; 1 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) on the expressions of VEGF and ICAM-1 in rat diabetic retina. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (70 mg/kg) in Sprague-Dawley rats, whereas control rats (Cont) received only citrate buffer. After 1 week, the streptozotocin-administered rats were randomly divided into two groups: ET(A) receptor antagonist-treated group (DM+TA-0201) and saline-treated group (DM+vehicle). After the treatment for 4 weeks, the retina was removed from the eyeball. In DM+vehicle group, the VEGF expression of retina was significantly increased (33.5 pg/mg) in comparison with that in the Cont group (25.1 pg/mg), and the upregulation of VEGF was reversed in DM+TA-0201 group (26.9 pg/mg), a phenomenon consistent with the change in VEGF mRNA levels. The expression of retinal ICAM-1 was increased in DM+vehicle group (55.1 pg/mg) compared with Cont group (43.8 pg/mg), and ET antagonism completely blocked this increase (43.8 pg/mg). Moreover, an increased leukostasis by 3.3-fold in DM+vehicle retina was returned to the control level by ET antagonism. In the current study, there was no obvious retinal morphological alteration from both the hematoxylin and eosin staining and the FITC-dextran angiography. Thus, ET(A) receptor antagonist might be useful in preventing the progression of diabetic retinopathy, as evidenced by suppressing the increase in VEGF and ICAM-1 levels as well as leukostasis in morphologically intact diabetic retina.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Effects of athletic strength and endurance exercise training in young humans on plasma endothelin-1 concentration and arterial distensibility.

Strength exercise training induces a decrease in arterial distensibility, whereas endurance exercise training causes an increase in arterial distensibility. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), which is produced by vascular endothelial cells, has potent vasoconstrictor and proliferative activity on vascular smooth muscle cells. We hypothesized that endogenous ET-1 participates in alteration of arterial distensibility by different exercise training types (i.e., strength and endurance exercise training). The purpose of the present study was to investigate plasma ET-1 concentration and arterial distensibility in strength- and endurance-trained athletes. Subjects were male strength-trained athletes (discus, hammer, or javelin throwers; 22.2 years; SA), male endurance-trained athletes (long- or middle-distance runners; 20.7 years; EA), and sedentary healthy men (20.6 years; sedentary control, SC). Maximum hand-grip strength was markedly greater in SA compared with EA and SC (55.3 vs. 41.1 vs. 40.5 kg, P < 0.05). Maximum oxygen uptake was markedly greater in EA than in SA and SC (60.9 vs. 43.1 vs. 43.6 ml/kg/min, P < 0.05). Arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV), which is an index of arterial distensibility, was significantly higher in SA than in EA and SC (688 vs. 529 vs. 601 cm/sec, P < 0.05). In EA, PWV was significantly lower in comparison to that in SC (P < 0.05). Thus arterial distensibility was lower in SA than in EA and SC and higher in EA than in SC. Plasma ET-1 concentration was significantly higher in SA compared with EA and SC (1.64 vs. 1.12 vs. 1.24 pg/ml, P < 0.05). Plasma ET-1 concentration tended to be lower in EA than in SC. These results suggest that the difference in plasma ET-1 level may participate in the mechanism underlying different adaptation of arterial distensibility between strength- and endurance-trained athletes.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Time course alterations of myocardial endothelin-1 production during the formation of exercise training-induced cardiac hypertrophy.

Endothelin (ET)-1 is produced by endothelial cells and cardiac myocytes. ET-1 has positive inotropic and chronotropic effects on the heart and causes myocardial cell hypertrophy. Exercise training induces a physiologic cardiac hypertrophy. To study whether myocardial ET-1 is involved in the formation of exercise training-induced cardiac hypertrophy, we investigated time-course alterations of myocardial ET-1 gene expression and ET-1 peptide level in the heart of rats during a formative process of exercise training-induced cardiac hypertrophy. We used the hearts of rats that had been exercise-trained for 4 weeks (4WT) or 8 weeks (8WT) and sedentary control rats for 4 weeks (4WC) or 8 weeks (8WC). Exercise-trained rats performed treadmill running for 5 days/week (60 mins/day). Left ventricular mass index and wall thickness and stroke volume index, measured using echocardiography, in the 8WT group were significantly greater than in the 8WC group, although there were no differences between the 4WC and 4WT groups in these parameters. These results indicated that the 8WT rats developed physiologic cardiac hypertrophy, whereas the 4WT rats did not yet have cardiac hypertrophy. Myocardial ET-1 gene expression and tissue ET-1 concentration in the heart were significantly higher in the 8WT group than in the 8WC group, whereas these values did not differ between the 4WC and 4WT groups. The present study suggests that an alternation of myocardial ET-1 production corresponds with the formation of exercise training-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Therefore, the exercise training-induced change in myocardial ET-1 production may participate in a mechanism of exercise training-induced cardiac adaptation (e.g., cardiac hypertrophy).

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed2006

Effect of eicosapentaenoic acid on the different endothelin system components in endothelin-1-induced hypertrophied cardiomyocytes.

The cardiovascular benefit of fish oil, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), in humans and experimental animals has been reported. The role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in cardiac hypertrophy is well known. Endothelin-1 stimulates prepro-ET-1 mRNA expression in cardiomyocytes, and the autocrine/paracrine system of ET-1 is important for cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Although many studies link EPA to cardiac protection, the effect of EPA on cardiac hypertrophy has yet to be clarified. Recently, we demonstrated that ET-1-induced cardiomyocytic change could be prevented by pretreatment with EPA. The present study investigated the changes of different components of the ET system at the mRNA level in ET-1-administered cardiomyocytes, and examined the effect of EPA pretreatment. Ventricular cardiomyocytes were isolated from 2-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats, cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium and Ham F12 supplemented with 0.1% fatty acid-free bovine serum albumin for 3 days. At Day 4 of culture, the cardiomyocytes were divided into 3 groups: control group, ET-1-treated (0.1 nM) group, and ET-1-treated group pretreated with EPA (10 microM). Twenty-four hours after treatment, the gene expressions of different components of the endothelin system in three experimental groups were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Prepro-ET-1 mRNA expression was 53% upregulated in ET-1-induced hypertrophied cardiomyocytes and suppressed in the EPA-pretreated group. Endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1) was also increased in ET-1-administered cardiomyocytes by 42% compared with the control group and was reversed in the EPA-pretreated group. The two receptors of ET system, ET(A) and ET(B), tended to be increased in the ET-1-treated group, but no statistical significance was seen among study groups. Endothelin-1 increased prepro-ET-1 and ECE-1 mRNA expression in hypertrophied-neonatal cardiomyocytes, and this was reversed with EPA pretreatment. Thus, EPA may play a crucial role in the regression of ET-1-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, partly through the suppression of ET-1 and ECE-1 expression.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Differential effects of selective endothelin type a receptor antagonist on the gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors in streptozotocin-induced diabetic heart.

Cardiovascular complications are an important feature of diabetes mellitus (DM). Abnormal and decreased coronary collateral development has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiac complications in DM. More recently, decreased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors has been found in diabetic heart. To our knowledge, no study has focused on the therapeutic improvement associated with VEGF in diabetic heart. DM was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg) in Sprague-Dawley rats, while control rats received only citrate buffer. After 1 week, the streptozotocin-treated rats were randomly divided into two groups: one group received the selective endothelin (ET) type A receptor antagonist TA-0201 at a dose of 1 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks by osmotic mini-pump, and the vehicle group received saline only. The plasma glucose level was 504 +/- 75 mg/dl in the diabetic rats and was unchanged by treatment with ET antagonist. The body weight was decreased in the diabetic rats compared with the control rats, but the left ventricular (LV)-body weight ratio was increased in the diabetic group and was unaffected by treatment with ET antagonist. mRNA expression of VEGF and its receptors (Flt-1 and Flk-1) in the LV tissues was assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. VEGF expression was significantly decreased in diabetic heart and was greatly improved by treatment with ET antagonist. The expression of VEGF receptors was down-regulated in early diabetic heart but was not recovered by treatment with ET antagonist. ET and its receptor A might have differential regulation on the gene expressions of VEGF and its receptors in early diabetic heart.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

EPA effect on NOS gene expression and on NO level in endothelin-1-induced hypertrophied cardiomyocytes.

Cardiomyocytes release (or metabolize) several diffusible agents (e.g., nitric oxide [NO], endothelin-1 [ET-1], and angiotensin II) that exert direct effects on myocyte function under various pathologic conditions. Although cardiac hypertrophy is a compensatory mechanism in response to different cardiovascular diseases, there can be a pathologic transition in which the myocardium becomes dysfunctional. Recently, NO has been found to be an important regulator of cardiac remodeling. Specifically, NO has been recognized as a potent antihypertrophic and proapoptotic mediator in cultured cardiomyocytes. We demonstrated that ET-1-induced hypertrophic remodeling in neonatal cardiomyocytes was arrested by pretreatment with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a major component of fish oil. In some recent studies, EPA has demonstrated cardioprotective effects by modulating NO. This study investigated the changes in NO synthase (NOS) in ET-1-induced hypertrophied cardiomyocytes and in total levels of nitrates and nitrites. Ventricular cardiomyocytes were isolated from 2-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats and were cultured in D-MEM/Ham F12 supplemented with 0.1% fatty acid-free bovine serum albumin for 3 days. At Day 4 of culture, the cardiomyocytes were divided into three groups: control group, ET-1 (0.1 nM) group, and ET-1 pretreated with EPA (10 microM) group. NOS gene expression was evaluated 24 hrs after treatment using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Endothelial NOS (eNOS) mRNA expression was decreased in the ET-1 group compared with controls and was unchanged by pretreatment with EPA. mRNA expression of inducible NOS (iNOS) was significantly increased in ET-1-treated cardiomyocytes and was suppressed by EPA pretreatment. Neuronal NOS gene expression and total NO level did not exhibit a statistically significant change in any of the groups. There may be some interaction between ET-1, eNOS, and iNOS in ET-1-induced and EPA-regressed hypertrophied cardiomyocytes that suppress iNOS expression without modulating total NO level or eNOS gene expression.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Endothelin antagonism suppresses plasma and cardiac endothelin-1 levels in SHRSPs at the typical hypertensive stage.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been implicated in hypertension, heart failure, atherosclerosis, and pulmonary hypertension. In all these conditions, plasma immunoreactive ET-1 levels are elevated, and tissue ET-1 expression is increased. Clinical trials have demonstrated potentially important benefits of ET antagonism among patients with essential hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, and heart failure. It is unknown whether ET antagonism affects the production of ET-1 in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHRSP) heart at the typical hypertensive stage. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of ET blockade on the expression levels of plasma and cardiac ET-1 in SHRSPs. SHRSPs were treated for 3 months with SB209670 (ET(A)/ET(B) dual receptor antagonist) or with saline (vehicle) commencing at the prehypertensive stage (age 6 weeks). Plasma and left ventricular ET-1 peptide levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay. Compared with age-matched control Wistar-Kyoto rats, peptide levels of ET-1 were significantly upregulated in vehicle-treated SHRSP heart; this upregulation was reversed by long-term ET antagonism. Plasma ET-1 levels were also significantly increased in vehicle-treated SHRSPs and were normalized by ET antagonism. mRNA expression of preproET-1, which is the source of ET-1 peptide production, was significantly increased in vehicle-treated SHRSP heart and was normalized by ET antagonism. Marked cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis at the histologic level in SHRSPs were ameliorated by ET antagonism, and left ventricular hypertrophy as seen on echocardiography in SHRSPs was suppressed by ET blockade. After ET antagonism, systolic blood pressures were reduced in SHRSPs; diastolic blood pressures were unchanged. The reversal effect of the upregulated ET system in SHRSP heart by ET antagonism might be independent of blood pressure change. By suppressing the upregulated ET system, ET antagonism might be beneficial in arresting cardiac remodeling.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Effects of a selective endothelin a receptor antagonist on the expressions of iNOS and eNOS in the heart of early streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Vascular tone is regulated through the actions of locally produced agents. Among the vasoconstrictors, the most potent agent is endothelin (ET), which exerts its vasoconstrictor actions principally through ET type A (ET(A)) receptors. Of the vasodilators, nitric oxide (NO) seems to be the most important contributor to the acute regulation of vascular tone. Vasculopathy is an important feature of diabetes mellitus (DM). Endogenous ET-mediated vasoconstrictor tone is augmented in diabetic states, and conflicting results persist concerning the NO system in diabetes. The present study investigated the expressions of inducible NO synthases (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) in the heart of diabetic animals and the effects of a selective ET(A) receptor antagonist on these alterations. Type I diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg) in Sprague-Dawley rats, while control (Con) rats received only citrate buffer. After 1 week, the streptozotocin-administered rats were randomly divided into two groups: the selective ET(A) receptor antagonist-administered group (DM+TA-0201, 1 mg/kg/day, by osmotic minipump for 2 weeks) and the DM+vehicle group (comprising the diabetic rats that received saline). The random blood glucose level was 405 +/- 103 mg/dl in DM animals, and this level was unchanged by ET antagonism. Body weight was more greatly decreased in DM rats than in Con rats, but the left ventricle to body weight ratio was increased in the DM group and was unaffected by ET antagonism. Protein expressions of eNOS and iNOS were assessed in the left ventricular tissues. eNOS expression was significantly increased in DM heart and was greatly inhibited by the treatment with ET antagonist. The expression of iNOS was also increased in early DM heart but was reversed by the ET antagonist. Thus, endothelin antagonism might be beneficial for DM heart by reversing the upregulated eNOS and iNOS expressions.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Changes in important apoptosis-related molecules in the endothelin-1-induced hypertrophied cardiomyocytes: effect of the pretreatment with eicosapentaenoic Acid.

Human heart failure is preceded by a process called cardiac remodeling, in which heart chambers progressively enlarge and contractile function deteriorates. Programmed cell death (apoptosis) of cardiac muscle cells has been identified as an essential process in the progression to heart failure. The execution of the apoptotic program entails complex interactions between and execution of multiple molecular subprograms. Endothelin (ET)-1, a potent vasoconstrictor peptide, is synthesized and secreted by cardiomyocytes and induces hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes. The cardiovascular benefit of fish oil containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in humans and experimental animals was reported. Recently, we found that ET-1-induced cardiomyocytic remodeling could be prevented by pretreatment with EPA. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether there would be any alteration in the expression of important apoptosis-related molecules in ET-1-administered hypertrophied cardiomyocytes. We also sought to determine, if there are alterations in apoptotic molecules, what type of role for EPA would then exist. Ventricular cardiomyocytes were isolated from 2-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats and were cultured for 3 days. At Day 4 of culture, the cardiomyocytes were divided into three groups: control, the ET-1 (0.1 nM)-treated group, and the ET-1 group pretreated with EPA (10 microM). Twenty-four hours after the treatment, the gene expressions of three important molecules related to apoptosis (caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2) in three experimental groups were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The present study could not demonstrate any significant or representative alteration in any of the above three apoptosis-related important markers in either ET-1-induced hypertrophied cardiomyocytes with or without EPA pretreatment. The present study would at least be able to exclude the involvement of some representative molecules related to apoptosis in ET-1-induced hypertrophied cardiomyocytes. In addition, the present study demonstrates that the antihypertrophic effect of EPA to ET-1-administered cardiomyocytes appears not to modulate the apoptosis signaling cascade.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Alterations in gene expressions encoding preproET-1 and NOS in pulmonary tissue in endotoxemic rats.

Septic shock is characterized by hypotension and a hyporeactive response to vasopressor agents. The pathogenesis is due to vascular leaks and an increased synthesis of cytokines and nitric oxide (NO). The present study examined the time-dependent alterations of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and the expression of NO synthase (NOS) in lung tissue in a septic rat model. Normal Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats aged 10 weeks received 15 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and then were sacrificed at different time points (1, 3, 6, and 10 hrs). Rats that did not receive LPS were considered to be controls. Both systolic and diastolic pressure decreased in SD rats after LPS administration. Time-dependent onset of features of acute lung injury, such as the infiltration of inflammatory cells and thickening of alveolar septa, were seen in rats that received LPS. A 2.8-fold increase in the expression of preproET-1 level was observed in lung tissue 6 hrs after LPS administration. The expression of endothelial NOS (eNOS) was also altered in lung tissue in a time-dependent fashion. After the administration of LPS, there was a 16-fold increase in the expression of eNOS mRNA. The peak expression of inducible NOS (iNOS) in lung tissue specimens obtained from rats that received LPS was 45-fold higher than that in control rats. ET-1 is a potent vasoconstrictor and thereby may play an important role in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury in a septic rat model. The increased expression of NOS may result in excess NO production and may also play a role in the pulmonary complications of endotoxemia.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Effects of dual endothelin receptor antagonist on antiapoptotic marker Bcl-2 expression in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects approximately 50% of male patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and is possibly due to the vascular and neuropathic complications of DM. Recently, apoptosis has been regarded as a downstream event in ED. More recently, the importance of alterations in apoptosis-related molecules in the mechanism of DM-induced ED has begun to be appreciated. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) plays a role via ET(A) and ET(B) receptors in the regulation of cavernosal smooth-muscle tone in penile tissues. We found that the ET-1 level in the penis of rats with DM was higher than that in the penis of control animals. The present study investigated a rat model in which DM was induced by a 3-week regimen of streptozotocin (STZ) to assess the expression of several apoptosis-related molecules in penile tissue and, concomitantly, the effects of ET antagonism on these changes. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (weight [+/-SD], 450 +/- 26 g) received a citrate saline vehicle or STZ (65 mg/kg ip). DM was confirmed by the presence of hyperglycemia. Diabetic animals were further separated into two treatment groups 1 week after onset of disease: one group received ET(A/B) dual receptor antagonist (SB209670) by means of osmotic minipump at a dosage of 1 mg/day, and the other group received saline. Rats in both groups were treated for 2 weeks and then sacrificed. Plasma glucose levels (+/-SD) in rats with DM were significantly higher than those in rats without DM (506 +/- 70 vs. 111 +/- 11 mg/dl). In the penile tissue of rats with DM, a 35% decrease in the expression of Bcl-2 protein (an important antiapoptotic marker detectable by immunoblotting) was seen, and ET(A/B) dual antagonist was observed to significantly counteract this decrease. Real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA was consistent with Bcl-2 protein expression. Levels of Bax and caspase-3, two important proapoptotic markers, were not significantly altered in the present study. Thus, we conclude that, in the penis of rats with early stage DM, the protection against apoptosis has decreased but can be improved by ET antagonism.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Weight loss reduces plasma endothelin-1 concentration in obese men.

Obesity is associated with endothelial dysfunction that may contribute to the development of diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), which is produced mostly by vascular endothelial cells, has potent vasoconstrictor and proliferative activity in vascular smooth muscle cells and, therefore, has been implicated in regulation of vascular tonus and the progression of atherosclerosis, suggesting that ET-1 may be important in endothelial dysfunction. We studied whether diet-induced weight loss (i.e., lifestyle modification) affects plasma ET-1 concentration in obese individuals. We measured plasma ET-1 concentration in seven obese men (age: 48 +/- 4 years old, body mass index: 27.7 +/- 0.5 kg/m2) before and after a 3-month, diet-induced weight reduction program (i.e., lifestyle modification program). Caloric restriction reduced body weight from 78 +/- 3 to 68 +/- 2 kg (P < 0.001) and resulted in 12.1 +/- 1.2% reduction in body mass index (24.3 +/- 0.3 kg/m(2), P < 0.0001). After the weight reduction program, systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased (128 +/- 7 vs. 115 +/- 4 mm Hg, P < 0.05 and 88 +/- 4 vs. 77 +/- 2 mm Hg, P < 0.01, respectively). The plasma level of ET-1 significantly decreased after the program (5.1 +/- 0.4 vs. 4.0 +/- 0.3 pg/ml, P < 0.05). The percentage systolic blood pressure reduction and percentage plasma ET-1 concentration reduction was in a linear relationship (r = 0.86, P < 0.05). Furthermore, the relationship between percentage weight reduction and percentage plasma ET-1 concentration reduction was linear (r = 0.87, P < 0.05). We conclude that weight loss by low-calorie diet (i.e., lifestyle modification) reduces plasma ET-1 concentration in obese individuals. This reduction may contribute to the improvement of obesity-induced endothelial dysfunction.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Alterations of gene expressions of preproET-1 and ET receptors in brains of endotoxemic Sprague-Dawley rats.

During severe sepsis, several immunological defense mechanisms initiate a cascade of inflammatory events leading to multiorgan failure, including septic encephalopathy and ultimately death. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has recently been investigated in different cerebral pathologies. Some reports suggest the involvement of ET-1 in sepsis. However, no study to date has reported the alterations in expression of the genes encoding preproET-1 and ET receptors in the frontal cortex of the septic brain. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats 8 weeks of age were administered either saline or 15 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at different time points (1, 3, 6, and 10 hrs). Rats that did not receive LPS were considered to be controls. The rats were sacrificed with ether, and the brain tissues were harvested. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased 1 hr after LPS administration and then gradually returned to normal, without any change in the heart rate. We confirmed the induction of endotoxemia in the brains of SD rats by measuring the expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) mRNA induced in the cerebrum. The expression of inducible NOS (iNOS) mRNA in the brains of SD rat after LPS administration was 30-fold higher than that in the brains of control rats. mRNA expression of preproET-1 in the frontal cortex of SD rats after LPS administration was 2-fold higher than that in control rats. A time-dependent increase in the expression of the gene encoding the ET(A) receptor (vasoconstrictive property) after LPS administration was observed in SD rat brain, whereas expression of the gene encoding the ET(B) receptor (vasodilatatory property) showed an initial upregulation and then gradually decreased as sepsis progressed. In conclusion, we report for the first time that expressions of the genes encoding ET-1 and ET receptors are altered in the endotoxemic brain and that these alterations are time-dependent in SD rats. The alterations in the ET system in brain tissue observed in the present study may contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiological changes in the endotoxemic brain.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

A model of retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by subconjunctival injection of endothelin-1.

The retinal ischemia-reperfusion model is used in the study of transient ischemia-related diseases, such as central retinal artery occlusion, angle-closure glaucoma, and others. There are two methods for experimentally producing an ischemia-reperfusion model in the rat retina: (i) the intraocular pressure is greatly raised by increasing the height of the infusion bottle connected with the needle in the anterior chamber; or (ii) the blood vessel that accompanies the optic nerve in retina is ligated. However, each method has some drawbacks. For example, in the first method, the needle must be fixed in the anterior chamber for 1 hr, thus, the technique is not stable and mechanical damage to ocular structures sometimes occurs. In the second method, because of the unavoidable involvement of the optic nerve, damage to the nerve induces retinal changes unrelated to ischemia. In this study, we injected endothelin (ET)-1 under the conjunctiva of the eyeball (subconjunctival injection), and evaluated whether a retinal ischemia-reperfusion model could be generated by this method, simply and noninvasively. We injected 4 x 10(-5) M ET-1 solution into the right eye of the rat and injected a control vehicle (artificial tears) into the left eye. From 5-60 mins after the injection, 50 mg/ml fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran was injected to the left ventricle of heart. Then, the retina was removed and flat mounted. We compared the perfusion conditions of the FITC-dextran to each retina in the right and left eye. There was a complete perfusion of FITC-dextran in the retinal main artery, vein, and the capillary vessels in all of the control eyes. However, perfusion could not be completely observed in the ET-1 injected eye from 5-35 mins after injection; afterwards, the flow was returned. This method of subconjunctival injection of ET-1 is, thus, a feasible technical option for producing a retinal ischemia-reperfusion model in rat.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Effect of endothelin dual receptor antagonist on VEGF levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat retina.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the most serious causes of blindness, is often associated with the upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in retina. Recently, leukocyte adhesion (leukostasis) is blamed for the occlusion of retinal capillary vascularity, which ultimately contributes to the progression of diabetic retinopathy. In addition, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), a representative factor for leukostasis, is increased in the diabetic retina. Endothelin (ET)-1, a potent vasoconstrictor peptide, is deeply linked to the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. Different therapeutic interventions concerning VEGF have already been proposed to prevent diabetic retinopathy. However, no study yet has reported whether ET-1 dual receptor antagonist could alter the upregulated VEGF and ICAM-1 levels in the diabetic retina. The present study investigated the effect of ET(A/B) dual receptor antagonist (SB209670; 1 mg/rat/day) on the expression of VEGF and ICAM-1 in the diabetic rat retina. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ; 65 mg/kg) in Sprague-Dawley rats, whereas control rats (non-DM control) received only citrate buffer. After 1 week, the STZ-administered rats were randomly divided into two groups: one group (DM+SB209670) received ET(A/B) dual receptor antagonist for 2 weeks, and a vehicle group (DM+vehicle) was treated only with saline. After the treatment period, the retinas were removed from the eyeballs. In DM+vehicle group, the VEGF expression of the retinas was significantly increased (32.8 pg/mg) in comparison to that in the non-DM control group (26.2 pg/mg); this upregulation of VEGF was reversed in the DM+SB209670 group (28.6 pg/mg). The expression of retinal ICAM-1 was increased in the DM+vehicle group (152.2 pg/mg) compared with the non-DM control group (121.6 pg/mg). However, SB209670 treatment did not alter the expression of retinal ICAM-1 level (154.8 pg/ml) in DM rats. Thus we conclude that an ET(A/B) dual receptor antagonist could reverse the expression level of VEGF in the diabetic retina while failing to normalize the upregulated ICAM-1 expression.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Altered expression of endothelin, vascular endothelial growth factor, and its receptor in hepatic tissue in endotoxemic rat.

Sepsis involves a heterogeneous class of syndromes, and septic shock, a severe form of sepsis, is associated with the development of progressive damage in multiple organs. The present study examined the time-dependent alterations of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in liver tissue in a septic rat model. Healthy male Wistar rats aged 15 weeks received 15 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and were sacrificed at different time points (1, 3, 6, and 10 hrs after treatment). Rats that did not receive LPS were considered to be controls. A 28-fold increase in the ET-1 level was observed in liver tissue 10 hrs after LPS administration. VEGF was also altered in hepatic tissue in a time-dependent manner. A gradual increase of VEGF expression in liver tissue after LPS administration was observed. Expression of Flt-1, the vascular permeability receptor of VEGF, was also increased in liver tissue after LPS administration. ET-1 is a potent vasoconstrictor and, therefore, may play a role in the regulation of hepatic perfusion in a sepsis model. On the other hand, VEGF may be involved in capillary leakage in liver tissue after LPS administration. The present findings suggest that there might be a loss of balance between the ET-1 and VEGF levels in the septic liver at different time points, which could contribute to the pathogenesis of acute liver injury in endotoxemia.

Animals↗