Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Activity Is Reduced in Brain Microvessels of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats |
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Authors: | Hideyuki Kobayashi Keiko Take Akihiko Wada Futoshi Izumi Maria Sandra Magnoni |
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Affiliation: | Department of Pharmacology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Kitakyushu, Japan |
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Abstract: | Abstract: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity in brain microvessels of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar Kyoto (WKY) controls was measured. Cerebral microvessels, prepared from the cerebral cortices by the albumin flotation and glass bead filtration technique, were free of neuronal and glial elements. ACE activity in brain microvessels of SHR was lower than that of WKY. A Woolf-Augustinsson-Hofstee plot showed that the reduction of the enzyme activity in SHR was due to a 30% decrease in Vmax without any change in Km for substrate. The decrease of ACE activity in brain micro-vessels of SHR may indicate an impairment of the central renin-angiotensin system and may be related to cerebral microvascular dysfunctions occurring in hypertension. |
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Keywords: | Brain microvessel Spontaneously hypertensive rat Angiotensin-converting enzyme Brain microcirculation |
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