Targeted genomic disruption of h-ras induces hypotension through a NO-cGMP-PKG pathway-dependent mechanism

Hypertension. 2010 Sep;56(3):484-9. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.110.152587. Epub 2010 Aug 2.

Abstract

The aim of the present experiments was to evaluate the differences in arterial pressure between H-Ras lacking mice and control mice and to analyze the mechanisms involved in the genesis of the differences. H-Ras lacking mice and mouse embryonic fibroblasts from these animals were used. Blood pressure was measured using 3 different methods: direct intraarterial measurement in anesthetized animals, tail-cuff sphygmomanometer, and radiotelemetry. H-Ras lacking mice showed lower blood pressure than control animals. Moreover, the aorta protein content of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, soluble guanylyl cyclase, and cyclic guanosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase was higher in H-Ras knockout mice than in control animals. The activity of these enzymes was increased, because urinary nitrite excretion, sodium nitroprusside-stimulated vascular cyclic guanosine monophosphate synthesis, and phosphorylated vasoactive-stimulated phosphoprotein in aortic tissue increased in these animals. Furthermore, mouse embryonic fibroblasts from H-Ras lacking mice showed higher cyclic guanosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase promoter activity than control cells. These results strongly support the upregulation of the nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway in H-Ras-deficient mice. Moreover, they suggest that H-Ras pathway could be considered as a therapeutic target for hypertension treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aorta / metabolism
  • Blood Pressure / physiology
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cyclic GMP / genetics
  • Cyclic GMP / metabolism*
  • Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / genetics
  • Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Fibroblasts / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Guanylate Cyclase / genetics
  • Guanylate Cyclase / metabolism
  • Hypotension / genetics
  • Hypotension / metabolism*
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Nitric Oxide / genetics
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / genetics
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / genetics
  • Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Up-Regulation / physiology
  • ras Proteins / genetics
  • ras Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III
  • Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases
  • ras Proteins
  • Guanylate Cyclase
  • Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase
  • Cyclic GMP