Background: The renin-angiotensin system involves many more enzymes, receptors and biologically active peptides than originally thought. With this study, we investigated whether angiotensin-(1-5) [Ang-(1-5)], a 5-amino acid fragment of angiotensin II, has biological activity, and through which receptor it elicits effects.
Methods: The effect of Ang-(1-5) (1µM) on nitric oxide release was measured by DAF-FM staining in human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC), or Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells stably transfected with the angiotensin AT -receptor (AT R) or the receptor Mas.
Angiotensin AT-receptor (ATR) agonists have shown a wide range of protective effects in many preclinical disease models. However, the availability of ATR-agonists is very limited due to the lack of high-throughput assays for ATR-agonist identification. Therefore, we aimed to design and validate an assay for high-throughput screening of ATR-agonist candidates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWith the discovery of the protective arm of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), interest has grown in protective RAS-related receptors such as the angiotensin AT-receptor [ATR] as potential new drug targets. While it is known that ATR couple to Gi, it is also apparent that they do not signal via inhibition of adenylyl cyclase/decrease in cAMP, as do many Gi-coupled receptors. Thus, standard commercially-available assays cannot be applied to test for agonistic or antagonistic properties of ATR ligands.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVasoactive peptides often serve a multitude of functions aside from their direct effects on vasodynamics. This article will review the existing literature on two vasoactive peptides and their involvement in skin homeostasis: adiponectin and-as the main representative of the kallikrein-kinin system-bradykinin. Adiponectin is the most abundantly expressed adipokine in the human organism, where it is mainly localized in fat depots including subcutaneous adipose tissue, from where adiponectin can exert paracrine effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis commentary on the article "Relative affinity of angiotensin peptides and novel ligands at AT1 and AT2 receptors" by Sanja Bosnyak et al. (Clini. Sci.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Purpose: Bradykinin (BK-(1-9)) is an endogenous nonapeptide involved in multiple physiological and pathological processes. Peptide fragments of bradykinin are believed to be biologically inactive. We have now tested the two major peptide fragments of bradykinin in human and animals.
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