Prieto Isabel, Villarejo Ana B, Segarra Ana B, Banegas Inmaculada, Wangensteen Rosemary, Martinez-Cañamero Magdalena, de Gasparo Marc, Vives Francisco, Ramírez-Sánchez Manuel
Unit of Physiology, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain.
Neuroendocrinology. 2014;100(2-3):198-208. doi: 10.1159/000368835. Epub 2015 Jan 6.
The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a major role in the control of blood pressure (BP) and water balance by coordinating brain, heart and kidney functions, connected with each other by hormonal and neural mechanisms through the autonomic nervous system (ANS). RAS function may be monitored by the study of the enzymes (angiotensinases) involved in the metabolism of its active peptides. In order to study the relationship between the brain-heart-kidney axis and the control of BP and water balance, we analyzed the correlation of angiotensinase activities, assayed as arylamidase activities, between hypothalamus, left ventricle, renal cortex and renal medulla, collected from Wistar-Kyoto and spontaneously hypertensive rats, treated or not treated with L-NAME [N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester]. This compound not only inhibits the formation of nitric oxide but also disrupts the normal function of the ANS activating the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) to increase BP. In addition, to assess the influence of the SNS, we studied the effect of its blockade by treatment of both strains with propranolol. The present results support the notion that RAS function of the brain-heart-kidney axis, as reflected by the activities of angiotensinases, is reciprocally connected by afferent and efferent mechanisms between these locations, presumably through the ANS. These results reveal new aspects of neuroendocrine regulation possibly involving the ANS.
肾素-血管紧张素系统（RAS）通过协调脑、心脏和肾脏功能在血压（BP）控制和水平衡中起主要作用，这些器官通过自主神经系统（ANS）的激素和神经机制相互连接。RAS功能可通过研究参与其活性肽代谢的酶（血管紧张素酶）来监测。为了研究脑-心-肾轴与血压控制和水平衡之间的关系，我们分析了从Wistar-Kyoto大鼠和自发性高血压大鼠收集的下丘脑、左心室、肾皮质和肾髓质中血管紧张素酶活性（以芳基酰胺酶活性测定）之间的相关性，这些大鼠接受或未接受L-NAME [N（G）-硝基-L-精氨酸甲酯]治疗。该化合物不仅抑制一氧化氮的形成，还通过激活交感神经系统（SNS）破坏ANS的正常功能以升高血压。此外，为了评估SNS的影响，我们研究了用普萘洛尔治疗这两种品系对其阻断的效果。目前的结果支持这样一种观点，即脑-心-肾轴的RAS功能，如血管紧张素酶活性所反映的，通过这些部位之间的传入和传出机制相互连接，大概是通过ANS。这些结果揭示了可能涉及ANS的神经内分泌调节的新方面。
