New signaling mechanism of angiotensin II in neuroblastoma neuro-2A cells: activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase via nitric oxide synthesis.

We previously reported that angiotensin II (Ang II) increases cGMP content through a new Ang II receptor subtype that is distinct from both the AT1 and AT2 subtypes in differentiated Neuro-2A cells. In this study, the mechanism of the Ang II-stimulated cGMP increase was investigated in comparison with bradykinin- and atrial natriuretic factor (ANF)-stimulated cGMP increases in differentiated Neuro-2A cells. Ang II increased cGMP in differentiated Neuro-2A cells rapidly, with a maximal effect in 30 sec and a return to basal levels in 60 sec. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ or pretreatment with a membrane-permeable Ca2+ chelator [1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid tetraacetoxymethyl ester] attenuated Ang II-stimulated cGMP accumulation. Both the time course and Ca2+ dependency of the effect of Ang II were similar to those of the effect of bradykinin, which activates soluble guanylyl cyclase, but distinct from those of the effect of ANF, which activates particulate guanylyl cyclase. Methylene blue, an inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase, attenuated the effects of Ang II and bradykinin but not that of ANF. LaCl3, a nonspecific Ca2+ blocker, prevented Ang II-stimulated cGMP accumulation. L-type Ca2+ channel blockers, nifedipine and diltiazem, or an N-type Ca2+ channel blocker, omega-conotoxin, failed to inhibit the effect of Ang II. Ang II had no effect on formation of 1,4,5-inositol trisphosphate or cAMP content, whereas bradykinin stimulated 1,4,5-inositol trisphosphate formation in differentiated Neuro-2A cells. Further, the nitric oxide synthase inhibitors NG-monomethyl-L-arginine and NG-nitro-L-arginine attenuated Ang II- and bradykinin-stimulated elevation of cGMP content but not that stimulated by ANF. The Ca2+ ionophore A23187 also stimulated cGMP formation and the effect was inhibited by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitors. These results indicate that the newly found Ang II receptor mediates cGMP formation through activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase and that the activation is mediated by nitric oxide, which is increased by Ca2+ influx via an ion channel distinct from the L-type and N-type Ca2+ channels.