De Mello W, Altieri P
Department of Pharmacology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan 00936-5067.
J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 1992 Oct;20(4):643-51. doi: 10.1097/00005344-199210000-00019.
The influence of the renin-angiotensin system on the control of cell communication was investigated in isolated ventricular cell pairs of adult rats. It was found that angiotensin II (1 microgram/ml) reduced the junctional conductance (gj) by about 55% within 20 s. This effect of angiotensin II was suppressed by DuP 753--an angiotensin receptor blocking agent. Enalapril (1 microgram/ml)--an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor--caused an increase in junctional conductance (106%) within 2 min. The effect of enalapril on gj was not related to activation of beta-adrenergic receptors or cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The effect of angiotensin II on gj was suppressed by staurosporine--a potent inhibitor of protein kinase C. This finding indicates that the peptide is changing gj through activation of protein kinase C. The increase in cell coupling caused by enalapril raises the possibility that the antiarrhythmic action of enalapril as well its effect in congestive heart failure are related to an increase in electrical synchronization of cardiac myocytes.
