Low Activity of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme in Cerebral Microvessels of Young Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats |
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Authors: | Hideyuki Kobayashi Akihiko Wada Futoshi Izumi Keiko Take Maria Sandra Magnoni |
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Affiliation: | Department of Pharmacology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Japan |
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Abstract: | Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity was measured in microvessels prepared from cerebral cortices of 4-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The Vmax value of the ACE activity in the cerebral microvessels of SHR was lower than that of Wistar Kyoto controls of the same age by 25% without difference in Km value for substrate. The low activity of ACE in the cerebral microvessels of young SHR indicates that in this animal model of hypertension the function of ACE is genetically altered in the cerebral microvessels, which may be correlated with the alteration of the cerebral microcirculation and pathogenesis of hypertension. |
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Keywords: | Cerebral microvessels Young spontaneously hypertensive rats Angiotensin-converting enzyme Brain microcirculation Pathogenesis of hypertension |
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