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P52rIPK regulates the molecular cochaperone P58IPK to mediate control of the RNA-dependent protein kinase in response to cytoplasmic stress.

The 52 kDa protein referred to as P52(rIPK) was first identified as a regulator of P58(IPK), a cellular inhibitor of the RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR). P52(rIPK) and P58(IPK) each possess structural domains implicated in stress signaling, including the charged domain of P52(rIPK) and the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) and DnaJ domains of P58(IPK). The P52(rIPK) charged domain exhibits homology to the charged domains of Hsp90, including the Hsp90 geldanamycin-binding domain. Here we present an in-depth analysis of P52(rIPK) function and expression, which first revealed that the 114 amino acid charged domain was necessary and sufficient for interaction with P58(IPK). This domain bound specifically to P58(IPK) TPR domain 7, the domain adjacent to the TPR motif required for P58(IPK) interaction with PKR, thus providing a mechanism for P52(rIPK) inhibition of P58(IPK) function. Both the charged domain of P52(rIPK) and the TPR 7 domain of P58(IPK) were required for P52(rIPK) to mediate downstream control of PKR activity, eIF2alpha phosphorylation, and cell growth. Furthermore, we found that P52(rIPK) and P58(IPK) formed a stable intracellular complex during the acute response to cytoplasmic stress induced by a variety of stimuli. We propose a model in which the P52(rIPK) charged domain functions as a TPR-specific signaling motif to directly regulate P58(IPK) within a larger cytoplasmic stress signaling cascade culminating in the control of PKR activity and cellular mRNA translation.

3T3 Cells↗

Postexercise decrease in arterial blood pressure, total peripheral resistance and in circulatory responses to brief hyperoxia in subjects with mild essential hypertension.

The objective of our study was: (1) to compare the influence of moderate exercise on circulatory after-response in mildly hypertensive (n = 8) and normotensive male subjects (n = 9); (2) to examine the circulatory response to 3-min hyperoxic inactivation of arterial chemoreceptors at rest and during postexercise period in both groups. Hypertensive men (HTS) with a systolic blood pressure (SBP) 148 +/- 5 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 92.4 +/- 4 mm Hg; and normotensive men (NTS), with a SBP 126 +/- 3 mm Hg, DBP 75.6 +/- 1.3 mm Hg, were submitted to 20-min of moderate exercise on a cycloergometer (up to the level of 55% of each subject's resting heart rate reserve). Finger arterial BP was recorded continuously with Finapres, impedance reography was used for recording stroke volume, cardiac output and arm blood flow. In HTS a significant decrease in SBP by 14.5 +/- 3.4 mm Hg, DBP by 8.9 +/- 1.9 mm Hg, total peripheral resistance (TPR) by 0.45 +/- 0.05 TPR u. (33.7 +/- 2.7%), and in arm vascular resistance (AVR) by 11.0 +/- 2.7 PRU u. (35.6 +/- 7%), was observed over a 60-min postexercise period. NTS exhibited insignificant changes in SBP, DBP, AVR except a significant decrease in TPR limited only to 20-min postexercise period. Hyperoxia decreased SBP, DBP and TPR in HTS. This effect was significantly attenuated during the postexercise period. Long-lasting antihypertensive effect of a single dynamic exercise in HTS suggests that moderate exercise may be applied as an effective physiological procedure to reduce elevated arterial BP in mild hypertension. We suggest also that the attenuation of the sympathoexcitatory arterial chemoreceptor reflex may contribute to a postexercise decrease in arterial BP and in TPR in mildly hypertensive subjects.

Adult↗

Total peripheral vascular resistance in pediatric renal transplant patients.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal cardiovascular reactivity at rest and during physical exercise may be a risk factor for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in pediatric renal transplanted (Tx) patients. Data on total peripheral vascular resistance (TPR) are not available. METHODS: Eleven renal Tx patients treated with cyclosporine (7 females and 4 males; mean age 14.6 +/- 3.3 years; mean time since transplantation 43 +/- 35 months) were evaluated for 24-hour blood pressure (BP), TPR and echocardiographic left ventricular mass (LVM). TPR values of patients were compared with data of a group of 11 healthy controls matched for sex and age. RESULTS: Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring showed that all but one patient had normal daytime BP values and six patients showed a reduced or inverse nocturnal dip. LVH was found in 72% of the patients. In comparison with healthy controls, patients showed significantly elevated TPR at rest and during exercise suggesting an increased vascular tone. The degree of LVH in these patients is severe and appears disproportionate to the BP values. CONCLUSION: The high incidence of LVH can reflect an augmented cardiovascular reactivity associated with a disturbed circadian pattern. The increase in TPR and the reduction of the nocturnal fall of BP also might contribute to the development of LVH in young renal Tx patients.

Adolescent↗

Overlapping sites of tetratricopeptide repeat protein binding and chaperone activity in heat shock protein 90.

The sequential binding of different tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) proteins to heat shock protein 90 (hsp90) is essential to its chaperone function in vivo. We have previously shown that three basic residues in the TPR domain of PP5 are required for binding to the acidic C-terminal domain of hsp90. We have now tested which acidic residues in this C-terminal domain are required for binding to three different TPR proteins as follows: PP5, FKBP52, and Hop. Mutation of Glu-729, Glu-730, and Asp-732 at the C terminus of hsp90 interfered with binding of all three TPR proteins. Mutation of Glu-720, Asp-722, Asp-723, and Asp-724 inhibited binding of FKBP52 and PP5 but not of Hop. Mutation of Glu-651 and Asp-653 did not affect binding of FKBP52 or PP5 but inhibited both Hop binding and hsp90 chaperone activity. We also found that a conserved Lys residue required for PP5 binding to hsp90 was critical for the binding of FKBP52 but not for the binding of Hop to hsp90. These results suggest distinct but overlapping binding sites on hsp90 for different TPR proteins and indicate that the binding site for Hop, which is associated with hsp90 in intermediate stages of protein folding, overlaps with a site of chaperone activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A pollen-specific novel calmodulin-binding protein with tetratricopeptide repeats.

Calcium is essential for pollen germination and pollen tube growth. A large body of information has established a link between elevation of cytosolic Ca(2+) at the pollen tube tip and its growth. Since the action of Ca(2+) is primarily mediated by Ca(2+)-binding proteins such as calmodulin (CaM), identification of CaM-binding proteins in pollen should provide insights into the mechanisms by which Ca(2+) regulates pollen germination and tube growth. In this study, a CaM-binding protein from maize pollen (maize pollen calmodulin-binding protein, MPCBP) was isolated in a protein-protein interaction-based screening using (35)S-labeled CaM as a probe. MPCBP has a molecular mass of about 72 kDa and contains three tetratricopeptide repeats (TPR) suggesting that it is a member of the TPR family of proteins. MPCBP protein shares a high sequence identity with two hypothetical TPR-containing proteins from Arabidopsis. Using gel overlay assays and CaM-Sepharose binding, we show that the bacterially expressed MPCBP binds to bovine CaM and three CaM isoforms from Arabidopsis in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. To map the CaM-binding domain several truncated versions of the MPCBP were expressed in bacteria and tested for their ability to bind CaM. Based on these studies, the CaM-binding domain was mapped to an 18-amino acid stretch between the first and second TPR regions. Gel and fluorescence shift assays performed with CaM and a CaM-binding synthetic peptide further confirmed MPCBP binding to CaM. Western, Northern, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis have shown that MPCBP expression is specific to pollen. MPCBP was detected in both soluble and microsomal proteins. Immunoblots showed the presence of MPCBP in mature and germinating pollen. Pollen-specific expression of MPCBP, its CaM-binding properties, and the presence of TPR motifs suggest a role for this protein in Ca(2+)-regulated events during pollen germination and growth.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Autoinhibition of TFIIIB70 binding by the tetratricopeptide repeat-containing subunit of TFIIIC.

An important step in the assembly of RNA polymerase (pol) III transcription complexes on tRNA and 5 S genes is the interaction between the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR)-containing subunit of TFIIIC (TFIIIC131) and the TFIIB-related subunit of TFIIIB (TFIIIB70/Brf1). A fragment of TFIIIC131 that contains the hydrophilic amino terminus and two TPR arrays, with five and four repeats, respectively (Nt-TPR9), is sufficient to support an interaction with TFIIIB70. Here we evaluate the contribution of each TPR array to TFIIIB70 binding. Both TPR arrays bind independently to TFIIIB70 with TPR6-9 having a 4-fold higher apparent affinity than TPR1-5. However, the TPR arrays are not sufficient for a high affinity interaction with TFIIIB70. The addition of amino-terminal sequences increases the affinity of TPR1-5 18-fold to create a high affinity TFIIIB70 binding site (Nt-TPR5, 44 +/- 6 nm). Although the Nt-TPR5 and TPR6-9 fragments are contained entirely within the Nt-TPR9 fragment, the affinity of the latter is significantly lower than either of these smaller fragments. The results demonstrate that the TFIIIB70 binding sites in TFIIIC131 are subject to autoinhibition. We propose that the binding of TFIIIB70 to these sites within the TFIIIC complex may proceed in an ordered fashion.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Tetratricopeptide repeat motif-mediated Hsc70-mSTI1 interaction. Molecular characterization of the critical contacts for successful binding and specificity.

Murine stress-inducible protein 1 (mSTI1) is a co-chaperone that is homologous with the human Hsp70/Hsp90-organizing protein (Hop). Guided by Hop structural data and sequence alignment analyses, we have used site-directed mutagenesis, co-precipitation assays, circular dichroism spectroscopy, steady-state fluorescence, and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy to both qualitatively and quantitatively characterize the contacts necessary for the N-terminal tetratricopeptide repeat domain (TPR1) of mSTI1 to bind to heat shock cognate protein 70 (Hsc70) and to discriminate between Hsc70 and Hsp90. We have shown that substitutions in the first TPR motif of Lys(8) or Asn(12) did not affect binding of mSTI1 to Hsc70, whereas double substitution of these residues abrogated binding. A substitution in the second TPR motif of Asn(43) lowered but did not abrogate binding. Similarly, a deletion in the second TPR motif coupled with a substitution of Lys(8) or Asn(12) reduced but did not abrogate binding. These results suggest that mSTI1-Hsc70 interaction requires a network of interactions not only between charged residues in the TPR1 domain of mSTI1 and the EEVD motif of Hsc70 but also outside the TPR domain. We propose that the electrostatic interactions in the first TPR motif made by Lys(8) or Asn(12) define part of the minimum interactions required for successful mSTI1-Hsc70 interaction. Using a truncated derivative of mSTI1 incapable of binding to Hsp90, we substituted residues on TPR1 potentially involved in hydrophobic contacts with Hsc70. The modified protein had reduced binding to Hsc70 but now showed significant binding capacity for Hsp90. In contrast, topologically equivalent substitutions on a truncated derivative of mSTI1 incapable of binding to Hsc70 did not confer Hsc70 specificity on TPR2A. Our results suggest that binding of Hsc70 to TPR1 is more specific than binding of Hsp90 to TPR2A with serious implications for the mechanisms of mSTI1 interactions with Hsc70 and Hsp90 in vivo.

3T3 Cells↗

Roles of the tetratricopeptide repeat domain in O-GlcNAc transferase targeting and protein substrate specificity.

The abundant and dynamic post-translational modification of nuclear and cytosolic proteins by beta-O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is catalyzed by O-GlcNAc-transferase (OGT). Recently, we reported the identification of a novel family of OGT-interacting proteins (OIPs) that interact strongly with the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain of OGT (Iyer, S. P., Akimoto, Y., and Hart, G. W. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 5399-5409). Members of this family are modified by O-GlcNAc and are excellent substrates of OGT. Here, we further investigated the role of the TPR domain in the O-GlcNAcylation of OIP106, one of the members of this OIP family. Using N-terminal deletions, we first identified the region of OIP106 that binds OGT, termed the OGT-interacting domain (OID). Deletion analysis indicated that TPRs 2-6 of OGT interact with the OID of OIP106. The apparent Km of OGT for the OID of OIP106 is 3.35 microm. Unlike small peptide substrates, glycosylation of the OID was dependent upon its interaction with the first 6 TPRs of OGT. Furthermore, the isolated TPR domain of OGT competitively inhibited glycosylation of the OID protein, but did not inhibit glycosylation of a 12-amino acid casein kinase II peptide substrate, providing kinetic evidence for the role of the TPR domain as a protein substrate docking site. Additionally, both the OID of OIP106 and nucleoporin p62 competed with each other for glycosylation by OGT. These studies support the model that the catalytic subunit of OGT achieves both high specificity and a remarkable diversity of substrates by complexing with a variety of targeting proteins via its TPR protein-protein interaction domains.

Animals↗

Functional interactions between Hsp90 and the co-chaperones Cns1 and Cpr7 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Hsp90 complexes contain a class of co-chaperones characterized by a tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain, which mediates binding to a carboxyl-terminal EEVD region in Hsp90. Among Hsp90 TPR co-chaperones in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, only Cns1 is essential. The amino terminus of Cns1, which harbors the TPR domain, is sufficient for viability when overexpressed. In a screen for temperature-sensitive alleles of CNS1, we identified mutations resulting in substitutions of conserved residues in the TPR domain. Mutations in CNS1 disrupt in vitro and in vivo interaction with Hsp90 and reduce Hsp90 function, indicating that Cns1 is a bona fide co-chaperone. Genetic interactions between CNS1 and another Hsp90 co-chaperone, CPR7, suggest that the two co-chaperones share an essential role in the cell. Although both the TPR and the isomerase domains of the cyclophilin Cpr7 are required for viability of cns1 mutant cells, this requirement does not depend on the catalytic function of the isomerase domain. Instead, hydrophilic residues on the surface of this domain appear to be important for the common Cns1.Cpr7 function. Although both co-chaperones interact with Hsp90 primarily through the carboxyl terminus (EEVD), Cns1 and Cpr7 are mostly found in complexes distinct from Hsp90. EEVD is required for normal growth in cns1 mutant cells, demonstrating for the first time in vivo requirement for this conserved region of Hsp90. Overall, our findings reveal a considerable degree of complexity in the interactions not only between Hsp90 and its co-chaperones, but also among the co-chaperones themselves.

Blotting, Western↗

Novel structure of the N terminus in yeast Fis1 correlates with a specialized function in mitochondrial fission.

Mitochondrial fission is facilitated by a multiprotein complex assembled at the division site. The required components of the fission machinery in Saccharomyces cerevisiae include Dnm1, Fis1, and Mdv1. In the present study, we determined the protein structure of yeast Fis1 using NMR spectroscopy. Although the six alpha-helices, as well as their folding, in the yeast Fis1 structure are similar to those of the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains of the human Fis1 structure, the two structures differ in their N termini. The N-terminal tail of human Fis1 is flexible and unstructured, whereas a major segment of the longer N terminus of yeast Fis1 is fixed to the concave face formed by the six alpha-helices in the TPR domains. To investigate the role of the fixed N terminus, exogenous Fis1 was expressed in yeast lacking the endogenous protein. Expression of yeast Fis1 protein rescued mitochondrial fission in delta fis1 yeast only when the N-terminal TPR binding segment was left intact. The presence of this segment is also correlated to the recruitment of Mdv1 to mitochondria. The conformation of the N-terminal segment embedded in the TPR pocket indicates an intra-molecular regulation of Fis1 bioactivity. Although the TPR-like helix bundle of Fis1 mediates the interaction with Dnm1 and Mdv1, the N terminus of Fis1 is a prerequisite to recruit Mdv1 to facilitate mitochondrial fission.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Tracking the unfolding pathway of a multirepeat protein via tryptophan scanning: evidence of localized instability in the mitochondrial import receptor Tom70.

The tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) is a degenerate 34-amino acid repeating motif that forms a repeating helix-turn-helix structure and is a well characterized mediator of protein-protein interactions. Recently, a biophysical investigation on one naturally occurring TPR protein, Tom70, found that the mitochondrial receptor displayed an unusual three-state unfolding pathway, distinct from the two-state model usually displayed by TPR proteins. To investigate this unusual behavior, we undertook a tryptophan-scanning analysis of Tom70, where both native and engineered tryptophan residues are used as fluorescent reporters to monitor the range of local and global unfolding events that comprise the unfolding pathway of Tom70. Specifically, seven Tom70 variants were constructed, each with a single tryptophan residue in each of the seven TPR repeats of Tom70. By combining equilibrium and kinetic fluorescent unfolding assays, with circular dichroism experiments, our study reveals that the unusual folding pathway of Tom70 is a consequence of the unfolding of two separate, autonomous TPR arrays, with the less stable region appearing to account for the low structural stability of Tom70.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Identification and characterization of two novel tetratricopeptide repeat-containing genes.

The tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) is a degenerate, repeating amino acid motif of 34 residues that has been identified in a variety of proteins; however, no biochemical function has been established for it. In a two-hybrid screen for interaction with the GAP-related domain of neurofibromin, the product of the NF1 gene, we have identified two novel human genes encoding proteins with TPR motifs. The first, represented by cDNA tpr1, is located in chromosome 5q32-33.2. It is ubiquitously expressed as a 1.6-kb transcript that encodes three tandem TPR motifs, but is not related to any other known gene outside this domain. The second, defined by cDNA tpr2, maps to human chromosome 17q11.2-23. It is ubiquitously expressed as a 2.2-kb transcript encoding seven TPR units. Interestingly, a separate region of the tpr2 cDNA has striking similarity to the "J region" of the DnaJ family. The products of the tpr1 and tpr2 cDNAs interact preferentially with a truncated form of the NF1 GAP-related domain via their TPR regions, suggesting that they may be targeted to an abnormality of protein folding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Dissection of Swa2p/auxilin domain requirements for cochaperoning Hsp70 clathrin-uncoating activity in vivo.

The auxilin family of J-domain proteins load Hsp70 onto clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) to drive uncoating. In vitro, auxilin function requires its ability to bind clathrin and stimulate Hsp70 ATPase activity via its J-domain. To test these requirements in vivo, we performed a mutational analysis of Swa2p, the yeast auxilin ortholog. Swa2p is a modular protein with three N-terminal clathrin-binding (CB) motifs, a ubiquitin association (UBA) domain, a tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain, and a C-terminal J-domain. In vitro, clathrin binding is mediated by multiple weak interactions, but a Swa2p truncation lacking two CB motifs and the UBA domain retains nearly full function in vivo. Deletion of all CB motifs strongly abrogates clathrin disassembly but does not eliminate Swa2p function in vivo. Surprisingly, mutation of the invariant HPD motif within the J-domain to AAA only partially affects Swa2p function. Similarly, a TPR point mutation (G388R) causes a modest phenotype. However, Swa2p function is abolished when these TPR and J mutations are combined. The TPR and J-domains are not functionally redundant because deletion of either domain renders Swa2p nonfunctional. These data suggest that the TPR and J-domains collaborate in a bipartite interaction with Hsp70 to regulate its activity in clathrin disassembly.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Sodium sensitive and sodium retaining hypertension.

The differences between sodium sensitive and sodium retaining hypertension were theoretically considered using a water tank model of body fluid volume-blood pressure regulation. If an outlet valve is attached to a tank with a base area corresponding to the reciprocal of total peripheral resistance (TPR) and water is poured into this tank at a rate corresponding to the amount of Na+ intake, then equilibrium should be achieved at a certain water level, volume and output from the outlet, which represent mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO) and urinary Na+ excretion. The height of the outlet from the tank bottom and the size cross-sectional area, of the outlet correspond to the x-intercept and slope of the renal function (pressure-natriuresis) curve, respectively. In both nonsodium sensitive hypertension, due to the shift of the curve toward a higher blood pressure level (elevated height of the outlet) without change in the slope (size of the outlet), and sodium sensitive hypertension, due to the depressed slope of the curve (reduced outlet size), not only MAP (water level) but also CO (water volume) are increased, resulting in sodium retaining hypertension, if TPR (reciprocal of base area) remained unchanged, while CO is relatively unchanged, resulting in nonsodium retaining hypertension, if TPR is elevated. Thus, the MAP and its sensitivity to sodium intake is determined by the renal function curve. Since body fluid volume is determined by both the renal function curve and TPR, however, changes in TPR during the development of hypertension is a major factor in determining whether or not the body fluid volume has to change only a small amount or a large amount. Therefore, the sodium sensitivity of blood pressure and sodium retention must be considered separately.

Blood Pressure↗

Enhanced total peripheral vascular responsiveness in hypertension accords with the amplifier hypothesis.

BACKGROUND: Increases in vascular resistance (or the reciprocal, vascular conductance) in response to constrictor drugs are amplified (or attenuated) in the hindquarter vascular bed of hypertensive rats and rabbits. However, such changes have not been observed for the total peripheral circulation. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the vascular amplifier applies to the total peripheral circulation in conscious hypertensive rabbits. METHODS: Rabbits were implanted with a flow probe for measuring cardiac output, a left atrial catheter for infusing dilator (adenosine) and constrictor (methoxamine) drugs, and ear artery and vein catheters for measuring mean arterial pressure (MAP) and for giving ganglion blockade. Data from full dose-total peripheral resistance (TPR) or total peripheral conductance (TPC) response curves to adenosine and methoxamine were combined into a logistic function extending from near full dilatation to near maximum constriction. RESULTS: Changes in MAP induced by methoxamine and adenosine were markedly greater in the 'wrap' rabbits (those with renal cellophane wrapping) compared with the sham animals. In the 'wrap' rabbits, the slopes and ranges of the adenosine-TPR response curve and the methoxamine-TPC response curve were 200% and 60%, respectively, of sham values. These data show that TPR changes are amplified, and TPC changes attenuated, to dilator and constrictor stimuli. The relationship between dose-average vascular radius (r; based on Poiseuille's law) over the full range of vascular tone showed that r was narrower in hypertension, but, in contrast to TPR, the degree of narrowing was almost the same between maximum dilatation and constriction. CONCLUSION: The total peripheral circulation in experimental hypertension is a TPR amplifier, or TPC attenuator, in the rabbit, consistent with well-established data in the major vascular beds.

Adenosine↗

Structural factors increase blood pressure through the interaction of resistance vessel geometry with neurohumoral and local factors: estimates in rabbits with renal cellophane-wrap hypertension with intact effectors and during neurohumoral blockade.

BACKGROUND: The structural changes in hypertension include narrowing of the lumen of the large resistance vessels and an increase in their wall thickness : lumen ratio. Their haemodynamic role has been controversial. OBJECTIVE: To examine resting haemodynamics and the responses to graded drug-induced changes in tone in renal cellophane-wrap (wrap) and sham-operated (sham) rabbits, when their neurohumoral effectors were intact and during high-level blockade. METHODS: Each rabbit was implanted with a flow probe for measuring cardiac output, had catheters inserted for drug infusions, and underwent mean arterial pressure (MAP) measurements. Resting values were determined and we infused graded doses of dilator and constrictor drugs: acetylcholine or adenosine; angiotensin II or methoxamine. The dilator and constrictor dose-response curves were combined into a single relationship for MAP, cardiac output, total peripheral conductance (TPC) and heart rate; total peripheral resistance (TPR) was estimated as 1/TPC. RESULTS: Throughout the range of vascular tone and with intact effector function, MAP was greater and TPC lower in wrap than in sham rabbits, and cardiac output was the same in both groups. The ratios of wrap : sham slopes of the log dose-response regression lines were 0.47 for TPC, 2.04 for TPR and 1.89 for MAP. Thus MAP and TPR responses were enhanced to the same degree in wrap rabbits. During neurohumoral block, baroreflex-mediated heart rate responses were abolished. In addition, resting vascular tone was lower than with intact effectors in both wrap and sham rabbits; however, the ratios of wrap : sham slopes for TPC and TPR were similar to those with intact effectors, whereas the ratio for the slope for MAP was slightly smaller, although still enhanced. CONCLUSION: In wrap hypertension, the enhanced MAP and TPR responses are in accord with an interaction between vascular geometry and the sum of altered neurohumoral + local activity, plus a rarefaction component.

Adenosine↗

Role of microvascular rarefaction in the increased arterial pressure in mice lacking for the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene (eNOS3pt-/- ).

OBJECTIVES: Mechanisms involved in hypertension in homozygous mice for the defective endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene (eNOS-/-) have not been fully elucidated. As NO is a potent vasodilator agent and possibly promotes angiogenesis, we investigated whether vasoconstriction and/or microvascular rarefaction could explain hypertension in these mice. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry with mouse monoclonal smooth muscle alpha-actin antibody was used to detect arterioles, and quantification of arteriolar density was performed in the left ventricle and in the gracilis muscle of 12-week-old male eNOS+/+ and eNOS-/- mice. Haemodynamic parameters - mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac index (CI), total peripheral résistance (TPR), myocardial blood flow, muscular blood flow and corresponding resistances - were measured or calculated using the fluorescent microsphere method in basal conditions and after infusion of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (5 to 150 microg/kg per min) in eNOS-/- mice, compared with eNOS+/+ mice. RESULTS: We evidenced a significant decrease in arteriolar density in the heart (-16%, P < 0.02) and in the gracilis muscle (-22%, P < 0.05) in eNOS-/- mice. In basal conditions, eNOS-/- mice developed significant hypertension (MAP = 127 +/- 14 versus 77 +/- 14 mmHg, P < 0.001) associated with decreased CI (-29%, P < 0.001) and increased TPR (+ 125%, P < 0.001). Coronary and gracilis muscular resistances were increased (by 75 and 89% respectively, P < 0.001) compared with eNOS+/+ mice, whereas myocardial and skeletal muscle tissue blood flows were not affected. After SNP administration (10 microg/kg per min), a dose that did not significantly modify haemodynamic parameters in eNOS+/+ mice, MAP, TPR and regional resistances were normalized in eNOS-/- mice, showing that vasodilation may correct hypertension in eNOS-/- mice. However, under maximal vasodilating conditions, TPR and regional resistances remained significantly higher in eNOS-/- mice than those of eNOS+/+ mice. CONCLUSION: Anatomical and functional results show that both vasoconstriction and arteriolar rarefaction are involved in hypertension of eNOS-/- mice. Indeed, under maximal vasodilation, arterial pressure and TPR remained significantly higher in eNOS-/- mice than in eNOS+/+ mice, evidencing a major role of microvascular rarefaction in this model of hypertension.

Animals↗

Antihypertensive monotherapy and cardiovascular responses to an acoustic startle stimulus.

To determine contribution of the autonomic nervous system to cardiovascular reactivity to noise, acoustic startle stimulus (110 dB, 1-20 kHz, 0.150 s) was administered to 35 subjects (19 women, 16 men) with mild essential hypertension. Among these patients, 10 were unmedicated and 25 were receiving long-term monotherapy (10 were taking 100 mg atenolol, 5 were taking 10 mg prazosin, and 10 were taking 50 mg losartan daily). Polygraphic recordings were obtained in supine position. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) levels were stable until the noise was administered. In the unmedicated group BP and HR were elevated during the first 10 s. BP returned to resting levels after this period. The calculated hemodynamic indexes showed a biphasic change in total peripheral resistance (TPR), with an overall vasoconstriction associated with the BP rise phase, preceding a delayed vasodilation. The lowest HR changes were observed in the beta-blocker group with increases of 6 beats/min and 3 beats/min after the first and second noise stimulations, compared with 10 beats/min and 5 beats/min in the unmedicated group. Prazosin significantly reduced the BP rises to 7 mm Hg and 6 mm Hg for systolic BP and diastolic BP after the first stimulation compared with 22 mm Hg and 17 mm Hg in the untreated group (p < 0.01). The second stimulation after prazosin determined -5 mm Hg and 1 mm Hg changes for systolic BP and diastolic BP respectively, compared to rises of 13 mmHg for systolic BP and 10 mmHg for diastolic BP in the untreated group (p < 0.01). The hemodynamic percentage changes resulting from the first stimulation indicated prazosin markedly reduced the noise-induced rise in TPR (p < 0.05). No effect of beta-blocker was detectable using percentage changes. The rises in BP were amplified in the losartan-treated subjects compared with the other groups. Because of a low resting TPR in this group, the percentage changes in TPR resulting from noise were amplified in the subjects treated with the AT1 receptor antagonist. In conclusion the acoustic startle stimulus appeared as a simple and reliable procedure for inducing transient increases due to a rise in TPR. Cardiovascular responses differed according to the antihypertensive monotherapy, with a limited effect of noise in the prazosin-treated group.

Acoustic Stimulation↗