Endogenous peptides modulate a wide range of physiological conditions in the central and peripheral nervous systems, but have not been harnessed to perform similar functions in pharmaceutical roles due to their ease of degradation and difficulty in introducing into the neurovascular unit. We report herein advances that evidence the wide applicability that glycosylation provides as a pathway for improving the drug-like properties of peptides. This is demonstrated by utilizing novel sugar-amino acids to modify the potent mu opioid receptor agonist DAMGO to provide antinociception, and serine glycosides to modify secretin family peptides for neuroprotection and angiotensin-(1-7) to both reduce cognitive impedance following myocardial infarction and as a treatment for peripheral neuropathy. Evidence is presented via a series of in vitro and in vivo models and assays, and demonstrates the advantageous effects of glycosylation through increased persistence in serum, greatly improved blood-brain barrier penetration, and the tolerance of receptor interactions to the addition of a carbohydrate.

Abstract Heart responds to pathological hemodynamic stress by increasing cardiac myocyte size, reprogramming gene expression and enhancing contractile protein synthesis. Neurohumoral factors mediate hypertrophic adaptation either directly via specific receptors or indirectly by increasing blood pressure and cardiac load. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of angiotensin II (Ang II) in the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) gene expression during cardiac overload. Furthermore, the mechanisms of action of Ang II in regulating cardiac gene expression were studied. Hemodynamic stress was produced by Ang II or nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) administration in conscious rats. Despite hypertension and increased left ventricular ANP and BNP mRNA levels, L-NAME administration for 8 weeks did not induce left ventricular hypertrophy. Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1) antagonism decreased significantly L-NAME-induced hypertension and ventricular ANP gene expression. Ang II-induced cardiac overload produced significant increase in ventricular ANP and BNP mRNA levels at 12 and 72 h, respectively. To study whether the factors synthesized by adrenals modulate the response of Ang II, the effects of adrenalectomy were studied. In Ang II-treated rats, adrenalectomy either abolished or blunted the early activation of ANP and BNP gene expression, respectively. Ang II infusion for 2 weeks increased cardiac mass and blood pressure measured by telemetry, and produced changes in diastolic function detected by echocardiography. By using direct plasmid DNA injections into the rat myocardium, BNP promoter activity was observed to increase at 2 h and remain up-regulated up to 2 weeks of Ang II infusion, except at 12 h. BNP mRNA levels increased at 2 h but decreased to basal levels after 72 h. Mutation of GATA elements of the BNP promoter and DNA binding assays revealed that GATA4 mediates the Ang II-responsiveness of the BNP gene. These results indicate that Ang II plays an important role in regulating natriuretic peptide gene expression during cardiac overload. ANP and BNP gene expression in the rat heart is modulated by the adrenal factors during Ang II-stimulated hemodynamic stress and the AT1 receptor antagonism in NO-deficient hypertension. Moreover, ventricular BNP gene expression in Ang II-induced hypertension in vivo is controlled by posttranscriptional mechanisms and GATA elements.

Abstract Cardiac hypertrophy is an adaptive response of the heart to a variety of mechanical, hemodynamic, neurohumoral, and pathologic stimuli. Prolonged pathophysiological load leads to development of left ventricular hypertrophy and ultimately to heart failure. The natriuretic peptides including the B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) provide the physiological feedback mechanism to suppress the load signal. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cis elements within the BNP promoter that mediate the cardiac load responses in vivo, and to study the involvement of paracrine factors, such as endothelin-1 (ET-1) and angiotensin II (Ang II) in activating these transcription factors. In this study, cardiac overload was produced by bilateral nephrectomy, and infusions of arginine8-vasopressin (AVP) or Ang II. In isolated perfused rat heart, the direct wall stretch was achieved by inflating the left ventricular balloon. To identify the cis elements within the BNP promoter that mediate hemodynamic overload response, the approach of DNA injection into the myocardium was used. Mutation or deletion of proximal BNP GATA sites abrogated the response to nephrectomy. AVP-induced acute pressure overload increased left ventricular BNP mRNA and peptide levels. In gel mobility shift assays, pressure overload produced rapid activation of transcription factor GATA4 DNA binding, which was completely inhibited by the ET-1 receptor antagonist bosentan. Both ET-1 and Ang II receptor antagonism inhibited the wall stretch-induced increases in left ventricular GATA4 and AP-1 binding activities in isolated perfused heart preparation. BNP promoter activity and BNP mRNA and peptide levels were regulated distinctly in chronic hemodynamic overload produced by Ang II. In conclusion, GATA4 appears to be necessary and sufficient to confer transcriptional activation of BNP gene during hemodynamic stress in vivo. ET-1 is a signaling molecule mediating the cardiac response to acute pressure overload in vivo. In isolated rat heart, Ang II and ET-1 are required for the stimulation of GATA4 and AP-1 binding activity in response to direct left ventricular wall stretch. Finally, posttranscriptional mechanisms play an important role in the regulation of BNP gene expression in pressure overload produced by Ang II in vivo.

In recent decades, the acceptance has steadily increased that oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of chronic diseases, malignant neoplasia and the acceleration of the aging process. As one of the most common chronic diseases, hypertension is often associated with a misregulated renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system that causes chronic oxidative stress. Hypertension is a risk factor for neurological diseases such as vascular dementia (VaD) and many neurological disorders, including VaD, have an ROS-associated or inflammatory component in their etiology. Our group has already demonstrated AT-II-induced genotoxicity in kidney and myocardial cells and tissues. The aim of this dissertation was to investigate a possible association between AT-II and neurodegeneration that is triggered by neuronal genotoxicity of AT-II. First, we showed in two neuronal cell lines that AT-II causes dose-dependent genome damage. Subsequent experiments could attribute this toxicity to NOX-produced superoxide generated after AT-II binding to the AT1R. In addition, AT-II-induced depletion of the most important intracellular antioxidant - glutathione - was demonstrated. In vivo, we were able to show that AT1aR knockout mice after AT-II treatment showed significantly more genome damage in the subfornic organ (SFO) than wild-type mice. The SFO is one of the few structures in the brain with an interrupted blood-brain barrier, which makes it accessible and particularly sensitive to circulating AT-II. In the recent literature, these genome damages were also observed in kidney and heart tissues and prove an additional genotoxicity of AT-II independent of AT1aR and consequently independent of blood pressure. In summary, this work shows that increased AT-II levels in neuronal cells cause genome damage due to NOX-produced superoxide. It is hoped that these results will one day help to decipher the complete development of VaD. / In den letzten Jahrzehnten ist die Akzeptanz stetig größer geworden, dass oxidativer Stress eine bedeutende Rolle bei der Entstehung von chronischen Erkrankungen, malignen Neoplasien sowie der Beschleunigung des Alterungsprozesses spielt. Als eine der häufigsten chronischen Erkrankungen ist Hypertonie oft mit einem fehlregulierten Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosteron-System assoziiert, welches chronisch oxidativen Stress verursacht. Bluthochdruck ist ein Risikofaktor für neurologische Erkrankungen wie der vaskulären Demenz (VaD) und viele neurologischen Störungen, einschließlich der VaD, haben eine ROS-assoziierte beziehungsweise inflammatorische Komponente in ihrer Entstehung. Unsere Arbeitsgruppe konnte bereits eine AT-II-induzierte Genotoxizität in Nieren- und Myokardzellen bzw. -Gewebe nachweisen. Ziel dieser Dissertation war es, einen möglichen Zusammenhang zwischen AT-II und Neurodegeneration zu untersuchen, welche durch eine neuronale Genotoxizität von AT-II ausgelöst wird. Zunächst zeigten wir in zwei neuronalen Zelllinien, dass AT-II eine Dosis-abhängige Genomschädigung verursacht. Nachfolgende Experimente konnten diese Toxizität auf NOX-produziertes Superoxid zurückführen, das nach Bindung von AT-II an den AT1R generiert wird. Zudem konnte ein AT-II-induzierter Verbrauch des wichtigsten intrazellulären Antioxidans – Glutathion - nachgewiesen werden. In vivo konnten wir zeigen, dass AT1aR-Knockout-Mäuse nach AT-II-Behandlung signifikant mehr Genomschäden im Subfornikalorgan (SFO) aufwiesen als Wildtypmäuse. Das SFO hat als eine der wenigen Strukturen im Gehirn eine unterbrochene Blut-Hirn-Schranke, was es für zirkulierendes AT-II zugänglich und besonders empfindlich macht. Diese Genomschäden wurden in der neueren Literatur auch in Nieren- und Herzgewebe beschrieben und belegen eine zusätzliche, AT1aR- und damit Blutdruck-unabhängige Genotoxizität von AT-II. Zusammenfassend zeigt diese Arbeit, dass erhöhte AT-II-Konzentrationen in Nervenzellen Genomschäden durch NOX-produziertes Superoxid verursachen. Die Hoffnung ist, dass diese Ergebnisse dabei helfen, eines Tages die vollständige Entstehung der VaD zu entschlüsseln.

No description available.

The prevailing paradigm is that cardiac ANG II is synthesized in the extracellular space from components of the circulating and/or local renin-angiotensin system. The recent discovery of intracrine effects of ANG II led us to determine whether ANG II is synthesized intracellularly in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM). NRVM, incubated in serum-free medium, were exposed to isoproterenol or high glucose in the absence or presence of candesartan, which was used to prevent angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptor-mediated internalization of ANG II. ANG II was measured in cell lysates and the culture medium, which represented intra- and extracellularly synthesized ANG II, respectively. Isoproterenol increased ANG II concentration in cell lysates and medium of NRVM in the absence or presence of candesartan. High glucose markedly increased ANG II synthesis only in cell lysates in the absence and presence of candesartan. Western analysis showed increased intracellular levels of angiotensinogen, renin, and chymase in high-glucose-exposed cells. Confocal immunofluorocytometry confirmed the presence of ANG II in the cytoplasm and nucleus of high-glucose-exposed NRVM and along the actin filaments in isoproterenol-exposed cells. ANG II synthesis was dependent on renin and chymase in high-glucose-exposed cells and on renin and angiotensin-converting enzyme in isoproterenol-exposed cells. In summary, the site of ANG II synthesis, intracellular localization, and the synthetic pathway in NRVM are stimulus dependent. Significantly, NRVM synthesized and retained ANG II intracellularly, which redistributed to the nucleus under high-glucose conditions, suggesting a role for an intracrine mechanism in diabetic conditions.

Ausgangspunkt der Arbeit ist die klinische Beobachtung, dass Patienten mit arteriellem Hypertonus vermehrt Nierenerkrankungen entwickeln. Dabei zeigten sich in der Subgruppenanalyse vor allem erhöhte Inzidenzen der Niereninsuffizienz und der Nierenzellkarzinome. Als möglicher Pathomechanismus steht das Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosteron-System (RAAS-System) im Vordergrund. Dabei wird postuliert, dass erhöhte Angiotensin II-Spiegel zu einem Missverhältnis zwischen den Oxidations- und Reduktionspartnern in der Zelle führen, wodurch sich das oxidative Potential der Zelle ändert, und es vermehrt zur Bildung von Radikalen (ROS) kommt, die meist ungepaarte Elektronen in der Valenzschale oder instabile Verbindungen enthalten, wodurch sie besonders reaktionsfreudig mit Proteinen, Lipiden, Kohlenhydraten und auch der DNA interagieren. In der Folge kommt es zu DNA-Veränderungen in Form von Doppel- oder Einzelstrangbrüchen, DNA-Protein-Crosslinks, Basenmodifikationen und Basenverlusten, wodurch sich ein hohes mutagenes Potential ergibt. Dieser Ansatz zur Pathophysiologie bestätigte sich auch an den hier verwendeten porkinen Nierenzellmodell. Dabei zeigte sich nicht nur eine Veränderung der genomischen Stabilität nach Exposition gegenüber erhöhten Angiotensin II-Spiegeln, sondern auch eine Veränderung der DNA in Abhängigkeit von der Expositionsdauer der Zellen. Als nächster Schritt konnte die Modulation der Transkriptionsfaktoren Nrf 2 und NF-κB durch die Behandlung mit Angiotensin II und Sulforaphan nachgewiesen werden. Bei der Behandlung mit Sulforaphan ließ sich eine Nrf 2-Induktion nachweisen mit vermehrter Expression von antioxidativen und detoxifizierender Enzyme. Weiterhin zeigte sich im Rahmen der Behandlung erniedrigte NF-κB-Level. Bei der Modulation durch Angiotensin II stellte sich zunächst ein signifikant erniedrigtes Level an Nrf 2 in den Zellen dar, das im Verlauf von 24 Stunden anstieg und konsekutiv ließ sich eine maximale Proteinexpression zwischen 24 und 48 Stunden messen. Weiterhin wiesen die Zellen, die mit Angiotensin II behandelt wurden, erhöhte NF-κB Mengen/Zelle auf. Zudem zeigte sich der Einfluss erhöhter Glucosekonzentrationen auf eine progrediente genomischen Instabilität, die Veränderung der Transkriptionsfaktoren mit erhöhter Nrf 2-Induktion und mit Deregulation des Transkriptionsfaktors NF-κB wurde durch die Behandlung mit Sulforaphan nachgewiesen. Aufgrund dieser Rolle in der Tumorgenese sind mittlerweile einige Bestandteile des NF-κB- und des Nrf 2-Signalweges und auch Nrf 2-Aktivatoren wie Sulforaphan wichtige Zielstrukturen für die Entwicklung neuer Medikamente und Therapieoptionen. Besonders zeigt sich hierbei die Wichtigkeit bei Diabetes induzierten kardiovaskulären Folgeschäden mit frühzeitiger medikamentöser Behandlung. / The starting point of this work is the clinical observation that patients with arterial hypertension develop more renal diseases. The subgroup analysis showed an increased incidence of renal insufficiency and renal cell carcinoma. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS system) has been implicated as a possible pathomechanism. It is postulated that increased angiotensin II levels lead to a mismatch between the oxidation and reduction partners in the cell, which alters the oxidative potential of the cell and results in increased formation of radicals (ROS), most of which contain unpaired electrons in the valence shell or unstable compounds, making them particularly reactive with proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and DNA. As a result, DNA changes occur in the form of double or single strand breaks, DNA-protein crosslinks, base modifications, and base losses, resulting in a high mutagenic potential. This approach to pathophysiology was also confirmed in the porky kidney cell model. This showed not only a change in genomic stability after exposure to elevated angiotensin II levels, but also a change in DNA depending on the duration of exposure of the cells. Next, modulation of the Nrf 2 and NF-κB transcription factors by angiotensin II and sulforaphane treatment was demonstrated. Treatment with sulforaphane showed Nrf 2 induction with increased expression of antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes. Furthermore, treatment revealed decreased NF-κB levels. When modulated by angiotensin II, cells initially showed a significantly reduced level of Nrf 2, which increased over the course of 24 hours. In addition, cells treated with angiotensin II demonstrated increased NF-κB levels. Moreover, the influence of increased glucose concentrations on progressive genomic instability, the alteration of transcription factors with increased Nrf 2 induction and with deregulation of the transcription factor NF-κB was demonstrated by treatment with sulforaphane. Because of this role in tumorigenesis, some components of the NF-κB and Nrf 2 signaling pathways, as well as Nrf 2 activators such as sulforaphane, are now important targets for the development of new drugs and therapeutic options. The importance of this is particularly evident in diabetes-induced cardiovascular complications with early drug treatment.

No description available.

No description available.

<p> Local renin-angiotensin systems (RASs) have been described in many mammalian tissues. However, the role of angiotensin II (Ang II) in skeletal muscle is poorly understood with initial reports suggesting it may function to regulate overload-induced hypertrophy. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to 1) investigate the potential that adult skeletal muscle and muscle stem cells possess a local RAS. 2) Describe its role in regulating skeletal muscle regeneration and growth following injury and 3) demonstrate its capacity to regulate muscle stem cell activity and myogenesis. We report that cultured primary and C2C12 myoblasts and myotubes possess a local Ang II signalling system evidenced by the differential expression of angiotensinogen, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), and both angiotensin type 1 and 2 (AT1, AT2) receptors. Interestingly, myoblasts demonstrated the capacity to produce Ang II in spite of lacking renin expression. Furthermore, angiotensin receptors demonstrated differential localization with AT1 associated with actin filaments in proliferating myoblasts, and localized to the nucleus in differentiated myotubes. We also report that a local angiotensin system is present in vivo and responsive to myotrauma as cardiotoxin injection (to induce muscle injury) resulted in the increased staining intensity of angiotensinogen and AT1 during myogenesis with a progressive downregulation throughout the regenerative timecourse. </p> <p> To investigate the effects of Ang II signalling blockade on muscle growth and regeneration we induced muscle injury in mice supplemented with captopril (ACE inhibitor) or mice devoid of the AT1 a receptor. Histological analysis revealed that ACE inhibition resulted in a decreased muscle fibre growth, increased proportion of small myofibres, an inability to accrete myonuclei and a robust hyperplasia of muscle fibres. Similarly, AT1 a receptor ablation resulted in decreased muscle fibre growth following injury suggesting that these effects are receptor specific. </p> <p> To investigate the mechanisms underlying these effects we assessed the role of Ang II in regulating muscle satellite cell function. In vitro experiments revealed that Ang II had the ability to regulate the early response of satellite cells to muscle injury by acting as a potent transcriptional activator of quiescent myoblasts and directing their subsequent migration. Furthermore, these migratory effects were mediated through an Ang 11-induced increase in matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) content and reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Interestingly, Ang II may also participate in the fusion of myoblasts as captopril treatment suppressed the expression of markers of differentiation (myogenin) and maintained the expression of markers of proliferation (Pax7, Myf5). In agreement with this, IHC analysis revealed that ACE inhibition also induced a strong trend for a decrease in the proportion of myogenin positive cells following injury. Collectively, these results implicate the activation of local Ang II signalling system as a pleiotropic regulator of skeletal muscle growth. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)