Effects of Diabetic Hyperglycemia on Central Ang-(1-7)-Mas-R-nNOS Pathways in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hypertension is a major cause of stroke, and diabetes can increase incidence of this disease. We determined the role played by central angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] pathway in modulating spontaneously hypertension with diabetic hyperglycemia. METHODS: Western Blot analysis and ELISA were used to determine the protein expression of Ang-(1-7) and its signal pathway Mas-R-nNOS in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and control animals. In a subset of animals, diabetic hyperglycemia was induced by systemic injection of streptozotocin (STZ). We analyzed a relationship between the levels of central Ang-(1-7) and plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) indicating a risk of ischemic stroke. We further examined the effects of Ang-(1-7) on arterial blood pressure. RESULTS: Our findings demonstrated for the first time that administration of STZ 1) attenuates the levels of Ang-(1-7) in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, which are closely linked to plasma BNP; and 2) leads to downregulation of central Ang-(1-7)-Mas-R-nNOS pathways. Notably, STZ has greater effects in SHR. Additionally, inhibition of oxidative stress can largely improve downregulation of Ang-(1-7) in diabetic SHR. Moreover, central stimulation of Ang-(1-7) pathway or a blockade of oxidative stress improves systolic blood pressure in diabetic SHR. CONCLUSIONS: The Ang-(1-7) signaling pathway is engaged in the adaptive mechanisms associated with diabetic hypertension, suggesting that enhancing Ang-(1-7)-Mas-R-nNOS system is likely to be beneficial in preventing against cardiovascular and cerebrovascular dysfunction and vulnerability related to spontaneously hypertension, particularly to diabetic hypertension.